


Secrets of the Falls

by LunaFlammata



Series: Secrets of the Falls, the series [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Abuse, Additional Tags to Be Added, Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls (Gravity Falls), Bill doesn't show up till like the last quarter though, Bill is actually a decent brother...sometimes, F/M, I do have a sequel planned, I'm a member of the Will Protection Squad I swear, It gets kind of dark at times, M/M, Multi, Stan is not a good person in this story, There are some fight scenes, i just have to write it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 47,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaFlammata/pseuds/LunaFlammata
Summary: Gideon has just moved to the town of Reverse Falls, and immeadeatly finds himself intrigued by the local hieress, Mabel Gleeful.  Will thought he knew how to avoid being tricked, he swore he'd never make a deal again.  But now he finds himself entranced by a magician, Dipper Gleeful.  These two quickly find themselves imbroiled in a dangerous game, and with thier hearts and lives on the line, they have to be careful who they trust.
Relationships: Gideon/Pacifica, Will Cipher | Reverse Bill Cipher/Dipper Gleeful | Reverse Dipper Pines, Will Cipher | Reverse Bill Cipher/Ford Gleeful | Reverse Ford Pines
Series: Secrets of the Falls, the series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977325
Comments: 23
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

The demon wandered from dream to dream. He didn’t find any of them particularly interesting, but he was still grateful for the simple pleasure of wandering freely between them. He found one that was mildly interesting. A young boy sat at his desk desperately looking through his drawers. A plain brown hat perched precariously on his platinum blonde curls, and he had on a large blue vest. The boy found what he was looking for, and pulled a locket out of the drawer. Will felt a faint tugging at the back of his mind, but he ignored it. He watched as the little boy opened the locket, only to find that it was empty. The tugging increased, but Will pushed it to the side, curious to see how the boy would react to the empty locket, and curious to see if he could help the little human. The child banged his fist against the desk, and scrambled through the drawers once more. As the dream demon watched, the tugging felt stronger and stronger, until he was no longer able to ignore it. He turned his attention to the summons, and felt himself sucked out of the mindscape into the human world. Slowly Will opened his eyes to see that the summoning circle had been drawn in a small, dark room. If he had to guess, he would say it was a basement. The humans had forced him into his human form for the summoning; clearly they were powerful magicians. The only other human he had met that was this powerful was…Will forced his attention to the small meat sacks in front of him. The girl was in a leotard and blue jacket. She had a knife in hand, and was tossing a book to the side. The boy had on a large cape and an outfit that was much too fancy for a simple summoning. Around the boy’s neck was a small green amulet. Will noticed a smaller one on the girl’s headband. The boy knelt down and extended a hand towards Will. “My name is Dipper Gleeful. I’d like to make a deal.” Will stayed silent. Best to stay quiet. You couldn’t be tricked if you didn’t say anything. The girl snorted impatiently. “We don’t have time for this. We’re talking to you, you pathetic little demon. Answer us!” Dipper glared at the girl, and she shrunk before his gaze. “Sister.” The warning was unmistakable, but she only rolled her eyes. Dipper turned back to Will. “You really must excuse Mabel. She has an awful habit of speaking when she’s not supposed to.” Dipper extended his hand once again. “Now about that deal?” Will shook his head softly and whispered, “I don’t want to make a deal.” The boy's eyebrows furrowed in a way that reminded him of...Mabel spoke up. “You sure you don’t want to make a deal. You know, it would be just as good for you as it would be for us.” Her voice was sickly sweet, and he could sense the trap. Will stood up, and scuffed his foot over the chalk circle, breaking the spell. While the siblings were distracted by the ritual, Will ran to the opposite side of the room. He saw stairs leading upwards, and he grabbed the railing. Something sailed past his ear and embedded itself in the wall, centimeters from his face. It was the knife Mabel had been holding. She pulled the knife from the wall, and he whirled around, terror dancing in his eyes. Dipper grabbed him by the wrist, and Will tried to yank himself free, but the boy was too strong. “We didn’t say you could leave yet.” He was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Let me go,” Will whispered, so softly he wasn’t sure Dipper had heard him. Dipper leaned in close and hissed, “No, I don’t think I will.” Dipper twisted Will’s arm and threw him to the ground. Before Will could get up, the magician ground his foot into Will’s back, and whispered in his ear. “I don’t particularly care how long it takes to get what I want from you, but my sister’s not so patient. This takes too long, and I might just stop holding her back. Even if you’re immortal, she will find a way to kill you. And she’ll make it last. Maybe I’ll even join in, who knows? So either you make a deal with us, or we make your life a living hell. So what do you say?” Dipper let him up, and extended the hand once again. “Want to make a deal?” Slowly, Will took the boy’s hand and shook it. Ghostly blue flames raced up their arms, and Will felt the boy absorbing most of his power. When the boy broke off his grip, Will was almost completely powerless. The siblings walked up the stairs, and as the light framed Dipper, Will had to draw in his breath. Dipper was stunningly gorgeous in the light. Mabel retrieved the book she had discarded earlier. As they left, the light glinted off the cover of the book, and Will saw that it was emblazoned with the insignia of a six fingered hand. With a start, Will remembered where he had seen the logo before. Once again the dream demon had been tricked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon explores the town, and has a fateful run in with Mabel Gleeful

Gideon woke with a start, his mother’s locket still clutched tightly in his hand. Frantically, he opened it too see the photo was still tucked safely inside. It had all just been a dream. An awful dream, but a dream nonetheless. Gently, Gideon put the locket around his neck and rubbed the brass chain. He heard thumping from downstairs, and reluctantly got dressed. He trudged downstairs to see his father sprawled out on the couch, and four or five empty bottles of beer on the coffee table. His father was still passed out, thankfully. Quietly, Gideon began to clear off the bottles, trying his best not to wake his father. His fingers accidentally brushed one of the bottles and he knocked it to the ground. He managed to catch the bottle before it hit the floor. He waited for a moment to see if the noise had woken his father. He breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to clean up the table. He tossed the bottles in the recycle, and winced at the noise the clinking bottles made. Bud Pines started, and saw Gideon standing by the recycling bins. “What you doin’ here boy?” “I was just cleaning up a little, father,” Gideon said nervously. He had no way of knowing if his father was still drunk. Bud snorted. “Well what are you still doing here? Go get me some donuts or something!” “Get donuts? Where would I even go? I don’t know where anything in town is.” “Why do I care? Just get out of my house, kid. You know the only reason I’m letting you stay here is out of the kindness of my heart!” He threw something at Gideon, but Gideon ducked through the doorway and out into the busy street.   
His father lived just off main street, so there was almost always a steady stream of people walking to and fro. He weaved between the streams of locals and tourists, and wandered onto main street. Here the sidewalks were even more crowded and the storefronts were filled with gawking people. Gideon kept his head down, and looked for anything that might have donuts. As he was searching he accidentally bumped into someone. He fell to the ground, and saw that it was a young woman with long red hair and black sweater. She leaned over him. “Watch where you’re going you little punk.” Gideon looked at the ground, scared to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry.” “You know, this town doesn’t need little punks like you. Maybe someone ought to teach you some manners.” She grabbed the shoulder of his collar and lifted him a few feet off the ground. “Welcome to Reverse Falls, freak.”   
She pulled her fist back, and punched Gideon in the face. He hit the ground once more, and she kicked him in the side of his ribs. He curled over and tried to shield himself from the incoming blows. After a few moments , he saw the shadow of someone standing over him. He turned his head and looked up. Between him and the redhead was another girl, about the same age as him. She had shoved the redhead, and was holding something in her hand. Whatever it was scared the redhead. “Fine, I’ll leave the little brat alone. He’s your problem now.” She stalked off, and the other girl put away whatever she had been holding. She turned around, helped Gideon up, and brushed the dirt off of him. “Thanks for the rescue, um...what's your name?” Gideon asked. She smiled at him, and he blushed softly. She had a beautiful smile. “Mabel,” she said sweetly. “W-well it was very nice to meet you, Mabel.” He stammered. He noticed the green flecks in her otherwise perfect blue eyes. They entranced him; he couldn’t look away. “It was delightful to meet you...I don’t think I caught your name.” He snapped out of his trance and offered her a bashful smile. “G-Gideon. My names Gideon.” “Well it was delightful to meet you Gideon.” “That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” he said, finger-gunning awkwardly. They stood in silence for a moment, and Gideon wondered if he had messed up his chances with her. He rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. “I-i should get going.” “Alright,” she said. “But um, would you like to see me and my brother’s show tonight?” “Sure! ...Wait, what kind of show is it?” “It’s a magic show.” “Cool. Yeah, I’ll definitely go check it out. When is it?” “It’s tonight, over at the edge of town.” “OK. See you there, I guess.” “See you there Gideon.” Mabel went back to the cafe table she and her brother had been sitting at, while Gideon continued his search for donuts.   
“Who was that?” Dipper asked, without taking his eyes off the journal. “Oh, just a tourist,” Mabel said, examining the knife in her hand. “He’s rather cute though, don’t you think, brother?” “I suppose.” He looked up from the journal, and appraised his sister critically. “Wait, this isn’t another one of your silly crushes, is it. We don’t have time to get sidetracked. Our priority must be finding the other journals.” “Oh, brother, you never let me have any fun. Besides, he might be useful.” Mabel waved the knife between the two of them, and Dipper let the issue drop, not wanting to push Mabel too far. “You know, he’s coming to the show tonight. Maybe we’ll get ourselves a new puppet.” She said, tossing the knife in the air and catching it. Dipper turned his attention back to his book. “Maybe.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon leaves to see Mabel's show, and stumbles upon a paticular book while in the woods.

Gideon finished the chapter in the book he had been reading, and set it down. He checked the clock, and saw that it was 6:30. Mabel’s show would be starting in a half hour or so. Gideon got up and walked to the back door. Just as he was about to turn the nob, he was startled by the sound of Bud Pines clearing his throat. “Where do you think you’re going boy?” Gideon turned to face his father and said. “I was...uh, I was just gonna go explore the town for a little bit. I’ll be back in a few hours, don’t worry.” Bud grabbed a can of beer. “No you aren't.” “What?” “You’re not going out, Gideon.” He kept pushing. “Why not?” “Because I said so.” “You can’t stop me. I could leave right now if I wanted too.” Bud raised his fist, and Gideon shrank. “You are not leaving this house.” Bud lowered his arm, and Gideon headed to his room dejectedly. He desperately wanted to see Mabel again, but he had no idea how he could get past his father. He pulled off his locket, and looked at the photo tucked inside. “What would you say mom. What should I do.” He closed his eyes, and a faint memory came to him. “If one angle doesn’t work, find another.” He glanced around his room, and saw the window. Gideon peered out, and saw that there was a small eve a couple feet below the window. From there it was just a small jump to the ground. Gideon unlatched the window, and clambered out onto the eave. He dropped down to the ground as softly as he could. After waiting a moment to see if his father had heard him, he darted into the woods at the edge of the property. He slowed down after a few minutes and started heading towards the lights from town. His mind wandered back to Mabel. He wondered if she was thinking about him as well. He shook his head. There was probably no way. She was way out of his league. He was so caught up in his nervous thoughts about her that he had stopped looking where he was going. His foot snagged on a root, and he tripped, hitting the trunk of a tree. As he crashed into the trunk, it rang out with a metallic clank. Gideon picked himself up, and knocked on the tree a couple times. After the third tap, a small panel opened, and Gideon reached his hands into it. His fingers closed around a thick box-like shape, a book if he wasn’t mistaken. He pulled it out, and examined it in the light of the setting sun. On the cover, there was a golden, six-fingered hand print with a thick black “3” written on it. HE opened it up near the middle and printed in huge black letters were the words “Trust no one.” He flipped open the other pages and saw entries about a squash with a face, some kind of other dimension, a bunch of random lines and circles. He became enthralled with what he saw on the pages, each entry more fascinating than the last. Gideon’s watch beeped, and he looked down to see that it was now 6:45. Mabel’s show would be starting in fifteen minutes. He tucked the journal into his vest, and dashed the rest of the way to the edge of town.  
Sitting just in front of the town line was a large blue tent with a colorful star emblazoned above the entrance. Gideon walked up to the ticket booth and started talking to the man inside. “One ticket please.” “Who for?” “Gideon Pines.” The ticket man visibly flinched when he heard Gideon’s name. “Oh, Mr. Pines, sir, I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you. Ms. Gleeful left you a ticket. You can sit anywhere in the first row if you would like.” The man refused to meet his eyes, and Gideon awkwardly shuffled into the tent. He took a seat at the edge of the first bench and checked his watch. It was 7:00 exactly. The lights at the edge of the tent dimmed, and two figures took the stage. “Welcome to the tent of telepathy.” A girl’s voice said, emanating from around the tent. Gideon immediately recognized Mabel’s voice, and he couldn’t stop the smile that was spreading across his face. Another voice spoke up, this one a boy’s. “Tonight, we are your psychics. The lights on stage came on, and two spotlights rested on the figures. “My name is Dipper. The lovely lady you see next to me is my twin sister Mabel.” Music started playing, and the spotlights danced around on stage. They came to a stop once again on the twins, and the rest of the lights came on. Dipper held up a handful of cards in the form of a fan. He tossed them up in the air, and as they fell to the ground, they transformed into a pair of doves. The birds swooped over the audience’s head, and Gideon marveled at the trick. Mabel raised her hand and the birds flew back to her hand. Her headband glowed blue, and the doves turned back into a deck of cards. “Welcome to the show.” A stage hand brought a small round table onto the stage, and the twins took a seat at one end. “Tonight, we shall commune with the spirits above, we shall see into your heart, and we shall tell you your future,” Mabel said, her voice low. “We welcome you to the stage tonight,” Dipper said. “Who wishes to see their future?” About half of the audience raised their hand. Gideon didn’t, however, curious to see the twins' magic. Mabel scanned the crowd, her gaze resting on Gideon. He could’ve sworn he saw Dipper kick her under the table. She gestured for him to come up to the stage, and he sat down at the other end of the table. Mabel and Dipper joined hands, and their eyes began to glow. The lights dimmed, and wisps of blue light began to come off of the twins. Gideon shivered as the temperature dropped in the tent. The twin’s snapped out of their trance and let go of each other’s hands. “You’ve lost your mother recently, haven’t you?” Mabel asked gently. Gideon nodded. “Was that her locket?” Dipper asked, indicating Gideon’s necklace. Once again, he nodded. “May we see it? Personal objects help us to summon the spirits of the departed.” Gently, Gideon took off the necklace and gave it to Dipper. The boy cupped it in his hands, as his eyes glowed blue once again. After a moment, the glow faded, and Dipper handed the necklace back. “I cannot feel your mother’s presence in the tent, but I can feel her. She wishes you too know that she loves you very much, Gideon.” “Thank you. Can she hear me?” Dipper nodded. “I just wanted to say good-bye. I wanted to tell her I miss her.” “She misses you too, Gideon.” “Thanks for giving me some closure.” Dipper smiled. “Of course.” His smile reminded Gideon of a crocodile. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Dipper was seeing more than Gideon wanted him to see. Mabel turned to him now. “May I see your hand?” Gideon offered it palm up, and she gently traced the lines on his hand. “Interesting.” “What is it?” “The spirits are telling me that you are destined for a long, happy life, but you must be wary, for one approaches who holds a dagger in hand. Be warned a betrayal is coming in the following weeks.” The audience gasped and Gideon shuddered. He wondered who was going to betray him. He didn’t know that many people in town, so the list of options was rather small. He did his best to dismiss the notion though, trying to convince himself this whole future telling business was just an elaborate magic trick. But Dipper had known that his mother had died, and no one in town except his father knew that. Mabel called for the next volunteer, and Gideon took his seat back in the audience, wondering what the prophecy had meant.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Gideon get to know each other a bit better

Gideon pushed the curtains out of the way and ducked backstage to look for Mabel. He bumped into her brother near the dressing rooms. “Oh, um, hi. Dipper right?” The boy nodded. “What are you doing backstage?” “Oh, um I’m looking for Mabel. She invited me to come see the show, so I figured I might as well come say hi.” Dipper rolled his eyes and groaned. “You’re that nerd she saved this morning aren't you? Fine. She’s outside, likes to get some fresh air after our shows.” He dismissed Gideon with a wave of his hand and continued to walk down the hall. Gideon went out the back of the tent, and saw Mabel standing at the edge of the woods. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she jumped. “Gideon, you scared me.” “Sorry.” “It’s ok. I don’t mind. I wanted to say I’m sorry about your mom.” “Thanks. That means a lot.” “You know, that hat of your’s is really beat up.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the booth at the front of the tent. She pulled a white and blue hat off the hook and placed it gently on his head. “I like it. The blue really brings out your eyes.” He pulled a hat off to get a closer look, and snorted when he saw the image on the front of the hat. “You know, my last name is actually Pines.” “Gideon Pines. I like that,” Mabel said with a soft smile. “Well, I mean you’ve got a really nice name too.” Gideon stammered awkwardly before putting his hat back on. Mabel giggled softly and said, “You’re really funny, Gideon.” “Well you’re really cute-I-I mean funny!” She giggled again and rubbed her arm shyly. “You’re really cute too.” Suddenly someone approached them. He was a young man, somewhere in his early twenties. “This the merch you’re selling?” “Yes sir,” Mabel said. “Tent of telepathy certified.” The man snorted. “And I didn’t think anything could be stupider than that dumb little show you put on in there.” Mabel’s brow furrowed, and there was a flash of something in her eyes. Anger maybe? “Dude, leave her alone.” Gideon said, grabbing the man’s elbow. The guy yanked his arm out of Gideon’s grip and noticed his hat. “I think the only thing that could make this merch stupider is seeing you in it.” Something thunked into the wood by the man’s hand, and Gideon looked down to see that it was a throwing knife. Mabel’s hand was on the hilt. “Leave Gideon alone,” she said with an angry, almost insane light in her eyes. He walked off, presumably to harass other people. “I’m sorry about that,” Mabel said with a smile on her face. “In our line of business, we attract all kinds of skeptics and unwanted attention. I’ll go get security to take care of that guy. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you anymore.” “Ah it’s OK. I don’t mind. He’s just a troll. He’s not worth the effort.” “Well if you’re sure.” They continued to jabber for another ten minutes or so as the crowd thinned out around them. Gideon’s watch beeped and he realized it was already ten o’ clock. “Oh man. I have to go. My dad can’t find out I snuck out.” “You snuck out for me? Awwww.” Mabel pulled out her phone and said, “What’s your number?” They exchanged contact info and Gideon walked towards the forest on his way home. Mabel noticed that the troll from earlier was still hanging around, near the edge of the woods. She was still furious about what he had said about her sweet Gideon. She pulled out her throwing knife and considered the blade. With a smirk, she sauntered in the direction of the troll.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon and Will meet, and the dream demon notices something odd about the Pines boy.

Gideon pulled his new hat on, and reluctantly headed downstairs. He tiptoed to the front door in an attempt to avoid his father. He had managed to open the door when the sound of the news anchor caught his attention. “He was found dead early this morning, and preliminary reports suggest that he was murdered sometime last night.” Gideon walked into the living room to see the broadcast. Toby Determined was looking through his notes, as if the report had just come in. On screen, there was a picture of the man who had apparently been murdered. It was the man from last, the one who had made fun of Gideon’s hat. A shiver ran through him. He couldn’t help but wonder if the murder had had something too do with him. He shook the thoughts from his head. It was probably just a coincidence. Either way, it was probably safer to stay in the house until they caught the killer, even if it meant he wouldn’t get to see Mabel again. It would also give him a good chance to read the journal he had found last night. He began to tiptoe up the stairs, but accidentally stepped on the creaky stair. He winced and held still, hoping that his father hadn’t noticed. Bud Pines grunted. “Good, you’re up. Go get me some breakfast.” “But-but there's a murderer out there. Aren’t you worried I might not be safe?” Gideon protested. Bud held up the ever present bottle of beer and gestured to the door. “If you don’t think you’ll be safe out there then it means I’m raising a wimp. And I’m not going to be raising a wimp, got me?” Gideon nodded. “Now get out there and get me some breakfast. There's some money on the front table.” “Yes sir.” He trudged to the front door. “Wait,” Bud said. Gideon turned once again to face his father. “Where did you get that hat?” Gideon panicked. “I..um...I bought it while I was in town yesterday morning.” Gideon offered a nervous smile, hoping his father didn’t recognize the hat. “Don’t waste my money. I’m only taking you in out of the good of my heart. Don’t push me. I can kick you out just as easily as I can let you stay here.” “Yes sir. It won’t happen again.” Gideon grabbed the cash, and headed into town.  
Will Cipher kept his head down and did his best to navigate the busy main street. The people jostled him as he walked by him. He bumped into someone and they shoved him to the ground. Better to stay quiet. Better not to draw attention to himself. No one could take advantage of him if no one knew he was there. Will picked himself up, and opened the door to the bakery, keeping his head down the whole time. He got in line behind a scrawny teenager with a large blue vest on, a blue and white hat perched precariously on his white curls. The kid looked familiar to Will, but the dream demon couldn’t place it. The line moved up, and Will trudged along with it, trying not to make eye contact with anybody else in the shop. As he shuffled forward, he accidentally bumped into the kid in front of him. Something fell out of the boy’s vest, and he bent down to pick it up. When Will saw the boys face, he figured out where he had recognized him from. He was the kid from the dream, that night when the Gleefuls had tricked him into a deal. “Sorry, sorry!” Will whispered frantically as he picked up the boy’s book and locket. As he got a better look at the book, he saw that it had the same six-fingered hand as the other journal. His breath caught. He stood there awkwardly before the kid said, “You ok?” Will snapped out of his trance. What would Dipper want him to do? He certainly shouldn’t make a scene. Should he try to steal the journal from the kid? No, that was a job better left to the twins. He decided to simply let the matter drop, and tell the twins when he got back to the mansion. “I...just haven’t seen you in town yet.” Will whispered. The kid tucked the journal back into his vest and extended his hand. “My name’s Gideon. What’s yours?” Will hesitated. Surely the kid couldn’t be a magician. Surely, he couldn’t be trying to trick Will into making a deal. Slowly, he took Gideon’s hand, and breathed a soft sigh of release when no fire emanated from his hand. “It was nice meeting you.” Gideon turned back as the line moved up. Will lowered his eyes. He had gotten lucky that time. Hopefully the kid would think he was completely forgettable and not pay him any more attention. Unfortunately, the kid turned back to him. “I never actually got your name.” Gideon said. “Oh...it’s, um...it’s WIll Cipher.” Will prayed he would drop the subject, but instead Gideon smiled at him. “That’s a cool name.” “Thanks,” Will responded timidly. The line moved up, and Gideon was at the counter. “See you around I guess.” Gideon said with a small wave as he passed Will on the way out after ordering. Will returned his wave awkwardly, ordered the food, and scurried out of the bakery. He turned off the town’s main roads, and into the Gleeful mansion as fast as he could. As he stepped into the second floor parlor, he set down the box of donuts and croissants in front of the twins, and stepped back to listen to their conversation. Dipper had his eyes on the second journal as usual. Mabel was playing with her knife. “Oh put down the silly book brother. Eat something. You look like you just came through a famine. You really should pay more attention to how you look, especially on stage.” Dipper sighed tiredly. “Mabel, I don’t care about any of that. That’s your job. I just care about finding the other journals, and finding the author. You can focus on all the shows and fame, but I’d rather focus on what’s important.” However, he grabbed a donut and shoved it in his face. Will had noticed that eating was the only time the boy wasn’t poised or in control. Will found it oddly adorable. Then again, he found most things about the teen adorable. Dipper spoke through a mouthful of food. “I’m so close to figuring out where the author hid the first journal.” He slammed his fist down on the coffee table. “Where is it!” Slowly Will lifted his head. He didn’t want to tell them. The Gideon boy had seemed nice enough. But part of the deal was that he had to help the twins achieve whatever they desired. Softly, Will cleared his throat. “Oh, go ahead,” Mabel said with a wave of her hand. “I know where the third journal is.” Dipper straightened up and slowly set his donut down. Will didn’t say anything, hoping he hadn’t angered Dipper. “Well, I haven’t got all day! Where’s the journal?” Dipper snapped. “A-a kid has it. He-he said his name is Gideon.” Dipper groaned. Mabel however perked up. “You mean my sweet Gideon?” Will nodded. She smirked and threw a sidelong glance at her brother. “I told you he might be useful.” “Very well. I’ll go retrieve the journal tonight.” Dipper said, beginning to get up. Mabel grabbed his arm and pulled him down. “Oh, that’s no fun. You could let me do things my way.” “Oh, yes? What do you propose?” “Let me go out with him. I can convince him to give me the journal. Far less risky. Besides, it’ll hardly ruin our reputation if I’m caught. But breaking into his house certainly will.” “Oh so our reputation matters now, but not when you killed that man.” “He made fun of my sweet Gideon. I couldn’t just let him go unpunished.” Mabel simpered. Dipper raised his eyebrow, but let the subject drop. “I don’t particularly agree with this plan, but I suppose you’re right about it being less risky.” Dipper mused. “But you must retrieve the journal quickly.” Mabel smiled sweetly, but there was an insane light to her eyes. “Oh, don’t worry brother dear. If it takes too long, I’ll call you. And then we can have some fun.” Mabel tossed her knife up and caught it. Dipper smirked and finished his donut. Will left the room, and silently apologized for the two psychopaths he had just set loose on poor Gideon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon goes on a date with Mabel, but his father has one condition.

As Gideon walked through the door to the house, his phone buzzed. He set the box of donuts down on the table and checked his messages. Mabel had texted him. “Would you like to go out?” Gideon broke out into a huge smile. He pulled up his keyboard, ready to type a response before realising he had no idea what he wanted to say. He wondered if he should be super enthusiastic, or if he should call her. After a few minutes of panic, he settled on a simple “Sure. Where do you want to meet?” Mabel texted back immediately, and Gideon had wondered if she had been waiting by her phone. He tried not to get his hopes up. “I was wondering if we could meet for breakfast. I know this great little cafe down on mainstreet.” “Sure, I can meet you at the bakery in five minutes.” “I’ll be there in ten. I like to be fashionably late.” At the end of the text there was a winky face emoji. Gideon turned too walk out the door, only to find his father blocking the way. “Who were you texting?” “Just a friend.” Gideon moved too open the door, but his father didn’t budge. “What’s this friend's name?” “Mabel. I was actually about to go out, so if you wouldn’t mind...” Gideon moved too open the door, but Bud grabbed his wrist. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me who this ’friend’ of yours really is.” “I told you! Her name is Mabel!” “And what are you and this Mabel going to do?” “We were just going to get some breakfast.” “You already got donuts. Don’t you want to spend some time with your old man?” Bud leered at Gideon. Gideon’s phone buzzed again, and Bud grabbed it and checked it. Immediately, Bud let go of Gideon’s wrist, and smiled eerily, like he was plotting something. “Why didn’t you tell me your friend was Mabel Gleeful?” Bud gave Gideon his phone and patted him on the back. He opened the door and ushered Gideon through. “Enjoy your date, son.” The door slammed in face, and Gideon stood for a few moments, blinking, not sure what had just happened. His phone buzzed, and he remembered his date. He walked down to the bakery and met Mabel. She had on a pretty blue summer dress and a golden necklace with a small blood red ruby pendant. She had the same headband on as yesterday, but somehow it tied the whole outfit together. “You look really nice. That dress really brings out your eyes.” Gideon said, and she blushed. She smoothed out her dress shyly. “I’m really glad I get to see you again, Gideon.” “Me too , Mabel. So...um, where’s this cafe?” Mabel took his hand and led him down the street. They grabbed a seat at the patio, and began to talk. “So,” Mabel said. “How long are you going to be in Reverse Falls?” “I know I’m going to be here all summer at least. Probably longer.” “So we’ve got plenty of time then.” She took his hand across the table. “How are you enjoying the town so far, Gideon?” “It’s so nice up here. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Not as gorgeous as you though.” Mabel giggled and fiddled with a piece of her hair. “You know, you’re really smooth.” Gideon’s face felt warm, and he did his best not to giggle. “Awww, you’re so cute when you’re trying not to laugh. It’s ok if you want to laugh though.” “So, how’s your brother doing?” Gideon said with a smile. “Ugh, let’s not talk about my dumb brother. Please?” “Ok, sure. Do you want to know anything else about me?” They continued to talk as they ate, and sat at the cafe table for about an hour, simply getting to know each other. Gideon told Mabel all about what it had been like down in Piedmont, and he told her about his friends, and he told her about what his mom had been like. Mabel insisted she pay for everything, and after a few minutes of protest, Gideon finally relented. After their fourth round of lemonades, Mabel said, “So Dipper said he noticed you were walking through the woods on your way to our show. Find anything interesting?” “What do you mean?” “Oh, there are so many cool things in the woods around here. Maybe one day you might even find a guide.” Her eyebrows raised slightly, and he wondered why. Just as he was about to answer her though, her phone rang. “I have to take this.” She stepped away, and looked like she was arguing with whoever was on the other end. After a minute she hung up with a frustrated sigh. She sat back down at the table and gathered her things. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, but I have to go. My idiot brother has this new idea for the show, and apparently it couldn’t wait.” Gideon was disappointed the date was ending so soon, but he started to help her pack up. “It’s ok, Mabel. We can always hang out later. I’m really glad we went out together.” She took his hand and stepped closer. “I’m really glad too.” She glanced down shyly before meeting his eyes. Softly, she leaned in and kissed him. “Bye, sweetheart!” She skipped down the street, and Gideon turned and walked in the opposite direction, lost in a happy stupor. Before he knew it, he was on the back streets of town, closer to the town line. As he wandered, he let his mind play over the events of the morning. He especially thought about the kiss. He was a little ashamed to admit that it was his first kiss, but he was glad it was Mabel. Gideon was so lost in thought, he didn’t notice there was another person on the street until he bumped into them. Both of them lost their balance and sat down hard. “Sorry about that,” the new girl said. She stood up and offered her hand to Gideon. He noticed she had about ten bracelets on each arm, and at least three rings on the hand she was offering him. “My name’s Pacifica by the way. What’s yours?” She babbled. Gideon couldn’t decide whether he was overwhelmed by her energy or charmed by it. “My name’s Gideon. I just moved here.” “Oh, that’s cool. Maybe I’ll get to show you around town one of these days. Or maybe you already know your way around. I’m probably talking too much. I’ll let you go. Bye!” She skipped off down the street and waved merrily. Gideon may not have been sure how to react to her energy levels, but, somehow, he was sure that he and Pacifica would be great friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud wants to know about Gideon's date. Will has a realization.

Mabel sauntered into the cave, much too the annoyance of Dipper. “Couldn’t you have at least bothered to change out of that ridiculous dress?” “Says the fifteen year old twig in a cape. I grabbed the stuff from the house. Are you sure this is going to work?” “Of course, sister. Did you get the journal?” “No! I would’ve if you hadn't decided this couldn’t wait.” “I think we still should have gone with my plan.” “Oh, give me another chance. I have him wrapped around my finger. Don’t worry brother, we’ll have the journals soon enough. Soon, we’ll be all-powerful.” Dipper sighed tiredly. “Fine. One more chance.” Mabel smiled. “Let's go find this golden goose.”  
Gideon closed the door softly behind him as he came into the house. He set the keys down on the hall table and grabbed a donut out of the box on his way up to his room. Before he could take the first stair his father called out, “How was your date, sport?” “It was good,” he said evasively. “Well that’s good! Will you be seeing that Gleeful girl again?” “Yeah, I think so. I really hope so.” Bud raised his beer bottle. “Well that’s great! Tell me all about it, son!” Gideon sat down on the chair across from Bud nervously. “Father, why do you care about my date with Mabel?” “Cause my boy’s finally got a girl. He’s finally starting to be a real man.” “You didn’t care about me being a real man when you left mom. You certainly didn’t care that I was your son,” he muttered under his breath. Bud set his can of beer down with a thunk. “You’re right. I don’t care that you're my son. I never wanted you. But I do want that Gleeful girl’s money. So here’s how it’s gonna go. You’re gonna keep seeing her. You’re gonna keep her happy until I can make a business deal with that idiot brother of hers and their manager. And you’re going to keep me posted on how your dates went, and how your relationship is going. You are going to do everything I say, or things are going to get very bad for you. You understand?” Gideon nodded, not sure how to react. He figured it was best not to mention that he would have kept seeing Mabel no matter what his father said. “Do you understand me?” “Yes father.” “Good. Now clean up this house. It’s filthy.”  
WIll locked the Golden Goose’s cage, and sat down on the couch at the opposite end of the room. He found the creature intriguing, but he found Dipper’s fascination with the supernatural more intriguing. His former partner had been interested in the supernatural, but only in order to exploit it. Dipper, even if he did exploit it, seemed to have a more genuine fascination with the weirdness that was Reverse Falls. Speaking of Dipper, the fifteen year-old magician stormed into the room, threw off his cape, and sat down hard on the couch. Will kneeled in front of him, but Dipper waved him off. “Are you alright Mr. Gleeful?” “I just don’t get it!” Dipper yelled. “I gave her everything! I went along with her plan even though I don’t approve, I gave her ample time to acquire that journal, I even gave her a chance to spend time with that nerdy little crush of hers, and she has the nerve to be mad at me! Me, of all people!” “Perhaps she feels you are trying to undermine her plan, since you didn’t agree with it in the first place, sir.” Will whispered. “Oh, call me Dipper. You really think that’s how she feels?” “Maybe.” “I mean, it’s not like I’ve undermined her plans before! ...OK, I have, but only when things started to get out of hand!” “Well maybe she feels like you don’t think she can be trusted to keep a handle on the situation.” “Maybe. I mean, she really can’t, but that’s besides the point. I do trust her! She’s my sister! She knows that, right?” “Maybe you’ve told her, but have you shown her?” “Well, of course I-” He sighed. Will thought it was cute when he was frustrated. “No, I haven't. I guess I should give her another chance.” Dipper put his hand over Will’s and said, “Thank you William. You know, you give really good advice.” Will did the best to stop his face from turning red. “Oh, call me Will.” “Thanks Will.” Dipper sauntered out of the room, forgetting his cape entirely. Will grabbed it, but Dipper had disappeared. He held the cloth close, and breathed in the scent of Dipper’s cologne. With a start, Will realized that for the second time in his life, he had fallen in love with a human.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon goes to visist Mabel, but it seems her twin isn't two keen on the new relationship.

Gideon rang the doorbell, and waited for the gates too open. After a moment they swung open and beckoned him in. He crossed the lawn, and softly opened the front door. There was no one in the main room. Quietly he stepped in, wondering if he had actually told Mabel he was coming. Leave it to him to mess up something so simple. If he surprised her and it didn’t go over well, his father would probably be furious. He wandered into the center of the room, and marveled at how ornate the room was. He saw someone step onto the balcony, and turned hoping it was Mabel. Instead it was Dipper. He was dressed much the same as he had been during his show, in a dark blue dress shirt, slacks, and a cape. Gideon wondered if he had even changed since the show. He was reading a large, old-looking book. Gideon cleared his throat and Dipper looked up. His eyes darted across Gideon’s form, almost as if he was scanning him. It was unsettling. “Hello. Can I help you?” “I’m looking for Mabel.” “Oh, you’re her little boyfriend aren’t you?” “We’re the same age,” Gideon muttered. Dipper closed his book with a thud and descended the stairs, his cape trailing behind him. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t like you. I think my sister could do a lot better.” Dipper leaned in and Gideon gulped. “Personally, I don’t think you’re good for her. You seem like the kind of guy that would break her heart without a second thought. Now, maybe I’m wrong about you, and you’re the sweetest guy that ever existed. But if you break my sister’s heart, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care how many connections you have, and I don’t care how I’ll look, I will end you if you hurt Mabel.” “Yes sir.” “Good.” He straightened Gideon’s collar. “Mabel should be down in a couple minutes.” “Actually, I’m here,” Mabel said from the doorway under the stairs. Dipper moved, and Gideon got a good look at her. She had on a white blouse decorated with blue flowers along the hems, and a loose, light blue skirt. She had a braid over her shoulder woven with small white flowers. Gideon drew his breath in at her beauty. She took his hand and smiled. “Sorry I took so long. I’m having a really bad hair day.” “Really? I’d have never been able to tell. Your hair looks great.” “Thanks. You’re too kind.” She noticed her brother still hovering nearby. “Oh no. Brother, did you give him the ‘I’ll end you if you hurt her’ speech?” Dipper had the decency to look sheepish. Mabel rolled her eyes. “Ignore my idiot brother. He’s actually not all that bad. He’s just super overprotective. Come on, let’s go get some lunch.” She dragged him off, and Gideon let himself get distracted by the way her hair fell, and the way she looked when she smiled. Soon he had forgotten all about Dipper’s warning and his father’s command.  
Dipper poured over the journal, looking for any meaning in the seemingly random lines and circles. By this point it was late evening, and Dipper’s eyes were getting heavy. Last night’s show had run particularly late, and he had stayed up nearly all night studying the entries in the journal. By this point he had every word memorized, every code worked out, and had obtained every magical item, but, yet it was this one entry that puzzled him. He slammed his fist into the table in frustration. Why couldn’t it be simple for once? Dipper rubbed at his arm absentmindedly. A voice snapped him out of his concentration. “Would you like anything Mr. Dipper?” Will said. Dipper started to wave him off before something occurred to him. “Will, come take a look at this.” He beckoned him over, and Will looked at the entry. “Do you recognize this?” Will looked closer at the drawing, and flinched slightly. His eyes darted across the room nervously before he said, “No.” “Are you sure?” Will nodded. Dipper was too tired to process his odd behavior and dismissed it. “Well, what do you think it is?” “I don’t know, maybe it’s a doodle?” “Maybe...It’s just, if the author put it in here, it must be important, right?” “Well, didn’t you say it kinda felt like the author went off the deep end?” “Yeah. Maybe. This is probably just the ramblings of an insane person. Thanks, Will.” Dipper noticed the hint of a blush creeping up the demon’s cheeks. Interesting. “You really should go to bed, Dipper. It’s late, and you look tired.” Dipper nodded absentmindedly. Will closed the journey gently and their hands brushed. Oddly enough, there were light butterflies in Dipper’s stomach as Will helped him up. Judging from Will’s expression, he was having the same butterflies. Dipper decided he would have to study the feelings later as he said goodnight too Will and got ready for bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth begins to come to light.

Gideon waited on the park bench for Mabel to show up, his father’s words from the other playing through his mind. His father had told him not to breathe a word of his plan to Mabel. Nervously he fidgeted with the bouquet he had bought for her. Someone passed by the bench, and he looked up, hoping it was Mabel. Instead it was that girl from the other day, the one had bumped into while wandering around town. “Oh, hi. Pacifica, right?” “Yeah, and you’re Gideon!” “That I am.” “Nice to see you again! Oooh, who are the flowers for?” “Um, no-noone!” He hastily hid them behind his back, but Pacifica craned her neck to get a better look at them. “Oooh, red roses! So, what’s her name? Or his I guess. Are you gay? Nah you’re probably not gay. So what’s her name?” Gideon chuckled. “Do you just never stop talking?” “Nope! C’mon! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!” “Alright, fine, her name is Mabel.” “Oh, that’s so pretty. I bet she’s even prettier though, huh?” She said with a wink. Gideon shoved her playfully. “Shut up.” “MInd if I have your number? We can hang out sometime!” “Sure,” he said with a shrug. They exchanged phones and entered themselves into each other’s contacts. Just as Pacifica was giving him his phone back, he saw Mabel coming up the sidewalk. He waved her over. “Hey, Mabel!” “Who is this?” She asked, a smile plastered on her face. “Oh, this is Pacifica. I met her yesterday.” “Oh. It’s nice to meet you Pacifica. How do you know my boyfriend?” Gideon blushed. “Aw, I’m just a friend. I was just offering to show him around town. Although I guess you probably want to do that, huh?” “Yes, I would, thank you.” “OK!” Pacifica skipped off, and Gideon glanced at her nervously. “She’s just a friend. I promise.” Mabel nodded, but he wasn’t sure she was entirely convinced. “...So, um about me being your boyfriend...” “Oh my God! Should I not have called you that! I’m sorry if you're not ready to put labels on our relationship yet!” “Well actually, I kinda think I am.” He held out the bouquet of roses for her. She took them gently and sniffed them. “They’re so pretty! You know, I actually have something for you to!” She pulled her hand out from behind her back, and offered him a bouquet of white snapdragons. “These are beautiful, Mabel! Where did you find them?” “Oh, there's this gorgeous clearing in the woods, and there are all these flowers. You know, it would be a great spot for a date.” He let her pull him along, and they gallivanted off into the woods.  
Gideon and Mabel flopped onto the grass exhausted. They lay there for a few minutes, pointing out interesting clouds to each other. Something zipped by over their heads, and Mabel sat up excitedly. “Oh, look, a fairy!” “Wait, fairies are real?” “I told you Reverse Falls was weird.” “Yeah, but you didn’t tell me magic was real!” “Well it is. You know, I could tell you all about it, but I’d need a guidebook. Maybe even a journal.” “Oh, well I…” The words of the journal came to him. “Trust no one.” “Wait, weren’t you asking about a guidebook yesterday?” “Was I? I don’t remember. All I remember is looking at your beautiful eyes.” Gideon blushed before realizing she was dodging the question. “Mabel, why are you so obsessed with this journal?” “I’m not, but my stupid brother is. He thinks it can ‘unlock the secrets of this town.’ Besides, it’s got cool stuff in it we can use for our shows.” “You mean that was real magic the other day?” “Yeah. I was actually seeing your real future.” Gideon had nearly forgotten about the prophecy. Now it came back full force, and he had to wonder who would betray him. The way Mabel was acting right now, maybe it was her. He shook that thought from his head. But the journal’s words still haunted him. “Trust no one.” But surely that couldn’t mean Mabel could it? Still, he pulled his vest closer to his chest, and felt the journal press against his ribs gently. “Gideon, I know you have the journal. Please, just give it to me.” “Why do you think I have it?” “Will told me.” “You mean that kid I met at the bakery yesterday? How do you know him?” “He’s our servant. Dipper tricked him into a deal. Most pathetic demon I’ve ever seen.” “Will is a demon?!” “Don’t worry, he can’t do anything unless we tell him to.” Gideon wondered if he was imagining the threat in her voice. “Gideon, please give me the journal.” “I-um, I don’t have it with me.” “OK, let’s go get it from your place.” “My, um, my dad doesn’t approve of us being together.” Why did he keep lying to her? Then something occurred to him. “Wait, did you start dating me just so you could get the journal?” “Of course not sweetheart. It’s just the only reason my brother let me go out with you is because you had the journal. My brother’s not very nice.” This time, the threat was unmistakable. “Gideon, give me the journal. This is my last chance to get it peacefully.” He stood up abruptly. “I have to go.” He ran off back through the woods, not sure where he was running to.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unsure of what to do, Gideon turns to a friend for help

Gideon found himself on the same street where he had met Pacifica. He looked around frantically, trying to find her. A gate opened behind him, and Pacifica stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Gideon are you OK?” “She’s a psycho! You’ve gotta help me!” “Why don’t you come inside.” She led him into her living room and said, “Would you like some coffee? Actually no, you definitely don’t need coffee right now.” Gideon rubbed at his temples nervously. “Gideon, what happened?” He sighed. “I don’t know. She wants my journal, and I thought maybe she was threatening me, but now I don’t know, and I probably just ruined my chances with her.” “Woah, slow down their dude. What happened?” Gideon had told her about the conversation in the clearing. After a moment Pacifica said, “I knew magic existed!” Gideon cleared his throat. “Bigger problems?” “Oh, right. Well, it certainly sounds like a threat, but I wasn’t there, and maybe she didn’t say it as menacingly as you did, but it still sounds really scary. What do you want to do?” He dropped his head into his palms with a groan. “I don’t know! I mean, am I overreacting? Maybe she just meant that she doesn’t think her brother’s very nice, but when I met him, he did seem really grumpy.” “Well maybe you are overreacting” “Not helping.” “Sorry.” The two continued to discuss options, and before they realized it, the sun was already setting. “Well you could always break up with her,” Pacifica said. “What?! Why would I do that?” “Well you did say she lied to you, and you don’t feel safe.” “Well, yeah, but I can’t break up with her. My father would kill me!” “Why?” “Apparently me being her boyfriend is good for business or something.” “Well I could break up with her for you. That way, you technically wouldn’t be breaking your dad’s rules.” “No, Pacifica, I couldn’t ask you to do that.” “Why not? Friends help friends.” “Please, could you? I mean, I really like her and all, but...” “You just need sometime to figure things out.” He nodded, and a thought struck him. “If I’m gonna get you involved in this, then I should probably show you something.” He pulled the journal out of his vest and showed it to her. “Is this the journal they’re after?” Gideon nodded. “Well then I’ll make sure they don’t know you have it.” “Thank you, Pacifica.” The two got up, and left for the Gleeful mansion.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pacifica talks to Dipper about Mabel and Gideon, but the encounter goes horribly worng..

Pacifica rang the doorbell, and the gates opened. With one last glance back at Gideon, she walked through the gates, and they slammed shut behind her. She opened the door to the main room, and was amazed by the grandeur of the room. There was a huge double staircase, winding its way up to a balcony that ringed the room, and there was a massive chandelier, dripping with gold and diamonds. “Hello?” The word echoed for a few moments, but no one seemed to hear it. After another minute, Pacifica opened one of the doors and peered in. Someone cleared their throat behind her. “Hello.” Pacifica whirled around, and saw someone standing at the top of the staircase, a journal like Gideon’s in his hand. This one had a number two written on the cover. He walked down a few steps, his cape trailing behind him. “Oh, hi! My name is Pacifica. What’s your name?” “What are you doing in my house?” “Oh, I’m just looking for Mabel. I need to talk to her.” “My sister isn’t receiving guests right now. I can take a message for her.” “I don’t know. This is kinda something I should be telling her myself.” “I have a feeling I know what you want to talk about. Why don’t you come into the parlor.” He gestured towards the door Pacifica had opened. He showed her into the room, and she took a seat on the couch. Dipper sat on the armchair by the fire, and somehow he managed to make it look like a throne. “So, Pacifica,” he leaned forward, his hands in a steeple pose. “Why do you want to talk too Mabel about?” “Well...I never got your name.” He smiled eerily. “My name is Dipper.” He noticed the tea set on the coffee table and said, “Would you like anything to drink?” “I guess I could have water.” Dipper turned and looked towards the corner of the room, and Pacifica noticed that someone was standing there. He had blue hair, a baggy sweater, and a triangle eyepatch. “Will, go get this fine young lady a water.” “I’ll take some tea.” Will cleared off the tea set, and slipped off into a side room. “So, what brings you here Ms. Pacifica?” “It’s about Mabel and Gideon.” Dipper sighed tiredly. “So why isn’t Gideon here.” “He’s really nervous. He was really threatened by his and Mabel’s conversation. Which is why he wants to take a break from seeing Mabel. Don’t get me wrong, he really likes her, but he’s not sure he can get into a relationship where she’s only allowed to be in it ‘cause you want something out of it.” “So that’s what this is really about. The journal.” “What journal?” Pacifica said, feigning ignorance. She figured she might as well try to figure out why he wanted it so much. “A journal that catalogs all the strange happenings in Reverse Falls. Ghosts, demons, other dimensions, you name it. And all of it could help me rule this pathetic town.” “Why do you want to rule Reverse Falls? You’re already the richest person here.” “I have my reasons.” Will set the tea set down in front of them, and handed Pacifica a glass of sparkling water. He resumed his spot in the corner. “Oooh, fancy. Why do you think Gideon has the journal anyways?” “Will said he saw Gideon with the journal.” “Well, Will must have been mistaken; Gideon doesn’t have a journal.” Dipper’s brow furrowed. “Or he lied.” He stood up abruptly, and crossed over to Will in a few strides. He grabbed the other boy by the shirt collar, and lifted him so his feet were dangling off the floor. “Woah! That’s not necessary, Dipper. Just set him down!” Will quivered in Dipper’s grip. “Did you lie to me, you pathetic little demon?” Dipper growled. “N-no sir! Gideon had the third journal, I promise! Please don’t hurt me!” Dipper threw him to the ground. “You’re so pathetic. I can’t believe I actually wasted magic on summoning you. You’re completely worthless.” He kicked Will in the stomach and the demon curled in on himself. Immediately, Pacifica crouched by his side. “Oh my God, are you ok?” Will just groaned. She turned to glare at Dipper. “You’re awful! Why did you kick him?” “The useless brat lied to me. I don’t like being taken advantage of.” He turned too Pacifica, a furious, insane light in his eyes. “As for you...” He raised his hand, and the gem on the cord around his neck began to glow. Flames emanated from his hand, and his eyes glowed blue. “No one breaks my sister’s heart.” He gestured with his hand, and Pacifica floated off the ground. “Please, stop! I’m just the messenger!” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure Gideon pays too. But for now, I’ll just have to settle for you.” He closed his fist, and Pacifica’s scream tore through the night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon realizes just how dangerous his new enemy is.

Gideon fidgeted nervously with his vest as he waited for Pacifica to come back out of the mansion. Surely it couldn’t be taking this long to tell Mabel he didn’t want to see her anymore, could it? Gideon waited a few more minutes, before he steeled his nerves to go in and check on her. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, he heard a scream from inside the mansion. It had sounded like Pacifica. Gideon shoved the gates open and ran into the mansion. He burst through the front door just as Pacifica flew out of the parlor and slid into the main room. Gideon rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. There was a nasty cut on her forehead, and she had the beginnings of a black eye. She clutched her ribs in pain. “Pacifica, what happened?” “You were right. He’s a psychopath. We need to get out of here, now!” “Ok, ok.” Gideon helped her limp to the door, but before they could cross the threshold, Dipper entered the room. “Where are you going, Pacifica?” He turned them around to face him, and noticed Gideon for the first time. “Oh, hello, Gideon. So you don’t have the guts to dump my sister yourself, but once you hear someone in danger you rush in. Aren't you just the little hero.” He cocked his head to the side as if a thought had just occurred to him. “You really care about Pacifica, don’t you?” He made a gesture, and Pacifica slammed into the wall. She slid down to the floor unconscious. “Stop! Please!” “Why should I? This is so much fun!” He made another gesture and this time Pacifica slammed into the ceiling. Gideon heard something crack. A crazed, sadistic smile crossed Dipper’s face. At that moment, Will chose to stumble into the room. “Oh, good, you’re here. It’s about time. Now do something useful for once in your pathetic life, and give me a boost.” Will swallowed, and his eyes began to glow softly. The light coming from Dipper’s tie increased, and Gideon could feel the magicians hold on him strengthening. Dipper chuckled. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.” He closed his fist, and the invisible force tightened around Gideon. He felt his ribs starting to crack and he couldn’t breathe. “Please, stop!” “Why?! After all, you’re the one that broke my sister’s heart!” Dipper slammed Gideon into the wall and released his magical hold on the boy. “Why did you let me go?” “Cause I want to do this myself.” Dipper lifted Gideon up by his shirt collar and punched him in the face. Gideon threw up his hands in a weak attempt to deflect the blows, but Dipper landed another hit nonetheless. Gideon managed to knee him in the stomach, and the magician’s grip loosened. Gideon hit him again, but Dipper didn’t react. Clearly he knew how to take a hit. Dipper punched Gideon again, this time drawing blood. Then he threw him to the ground and pulled out a knife. “No! No! Please!” “Oh don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “This isn’t for you. It’s for her.” He turned to Pacifica, who was just starting to wake up. He pulled her head up by her hair and held the knife to her throat. “No! Don’t! It’s me you want!” “Oh, so you care about her do you? Well then...” He pressed the knife closer to her skin, and drops of blood appeared along the edge of the blade. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. You’re going to keep going out with my sister. You’re gonna keep her happy. And if you don’t, I’ll kill Pacifica here.” “Ok, ok. I’ll go out with Mabel. Just please, let her go.” “There's still one more thing I want. Give me the journal Gideon. I know you have it.” “I don’t have the third journal! Please, just let Pacifica go. I don’t have anything else you want!” Dipper glared at him for a moment, and Gideon wondered if he had seen through the lie. With a grunt Dipper released Pacifica and shoved her to the floor. “You know, Gideon, this was fun. You should come over more often.” Gideon just helped Pacifica to her feet, and backed towards the door, not taking his eyes off the young psychopath. “Get out of my sight,” Dipper growled. Gideon took the hint, and hurried off the Gleeful property.  
Dipper turned to Will and knelt down to his eye level. “So, you lied to me.” “I didn’t. I swear. The kid had the journal! I saw it.” “Well, clearly, you didn’t.” He picked Will up by the collar. “And you are even more worthless than I thought. I never should have made that deal with you. You’re absolutely useless.” Dipper let him go, and Will pulled his knees up to his chest. He really couldn’t blame Dipper for his reaction. After all, it was kinda his fault that Mabel and Gideon were fighting. And maybe it hadn’t been the journal that he had seen. He was pretty useless. Dipper was right to be mad at him. “Will,” Dipper said, turning towards him, a look of realization in his eyes.. “Did I ever say anything about Journal 3 to Gideon?” Before Will could say anything, Dipper answered his own question. “No, I didn’t. Well look at that. You’re not completely useless after all.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Bud meet for the first time.

Gideon and Pacifica stumbled through the back door to her house. He gently set her down at the kitchen table and said, “Do you have a first aid kit?” “In the bathroom cabinet, second door on your right.” He grabbed the kit and started to clean the cut on her forehead. “I think it’s gonna need stitches. We should get you to the hospital. I’m pretty sure you broke something when he slammed you into the ceiling.” He pulled out a large bandage and pressed it against the cut. “That should stop the bleeding. Do you hurt anywhere else?” He reached for the supplies in the kit, but Pacifica grabbed his wrist. “Gideon, relax. I’m fine. Worry about yourself. Those bruises look awful. Let me see them.” He let her fix him up, and when she finished, got up to go. “Wait! Don’t go. At least, not yet.” He sat back down. “Ok. I’m here.” They sat in silence for a moment. “Gideon, why did you lie about not having the journal?” “If that psychopath wanted it, it couldn’t have been good. I’m not gonna let someone like him get his hands on something this powerful.” “Not even if my life was at stake?” “If the only thing he had wanted was the journal, I would have handed it over in a heartbeat. But since he really just wanted me to keep going out with Mabel, I figured I could risk it. Pacifica, trust me, the stuff in this journal is not stuff you want him getting his hands on.” She nodded. “Hey,” he said, tipping her chin up so she met his eyes. “I promise, I am not going to let him hurt you.” “Thanks.” They sat in silence for a moment. “So what are we going to do with the journal?” “I’m gonna hide. Not too far away though. There's a lot of stuff in here that can help us in an emergency.” “And what about you and Mabel?” “I guess I’ll keep going out with her. She is really nice, her brother's just a psychopath.” “Whatever you need to tell yourself,” Pacifica whispered under her breath. Gideon didn’t hear. “Where are you parents? They should know about this.” Pacifica shook her head. “I don’t know. They doubt they’d care anyways. The only reason they seem to care about me is if I get myself in huge trouble. This is nothing.” Gideon raised his eyebrows but said nothing. No point in pressing the issue. “What about your parents?” “My dad wouldn’t care less. He’s actually probably been waiting to beat me up like this himself.” “Oh my God, Gideon, that’s awful!” “You get used to it after a while I guess. I should get going.” “You can stay here tonight if you want.” “No. After how horribly things went today with Mabel, my father's going to kill me if I come home late.”  
It had been a week, and things had returned to a vague semblance of normal. Gideon’s bruises had all but faded, and the cut on his cheek was a small white line. It probably wouldn’t even scar. Gidoen and Mabel had continued to go out; Gideon spent nearly every minute with Pacifica, and the two had formed a tight, close knit friendship. He had poured over the journal, and had done his best to catalog every fantastical creature he had seen. Sometimes Pacifica had helped him, and he realized she was really good at connecting with magical creatures. He liked her out of the box thinking and the way she always managed to turn a random idea into a solution. He really liked that about her. Of course, he liked a lot of things about her. He also liked a lot of things about Mabel too. But Mabel was more complicated. She seemed to be exactly the same as she had been before his showdown with Dipper, and he couldn’t erase the memory of the day in the clearing. She had seemed so sweet, and he supposed she still was, but the threat had been unmistakable that day. Try as he might, he couldn’t simply forget the insane light in Dipper’s eyes that night at the mansion. He wasn’t sure if Mabel knew what had happened that day, but he had replayed the scene at the Tent of Telepathy after the show. Mabel had had the same insane light in her eyes when facing down the man who had mocked Gideon, as Dipper had when he had been torturing Pacifica. There was no denying the twins were insane. She hadn’t made any more attempts to get the journal, and he figured Dipper had called her off, although sometimes he could've sworn he saw the boy magician hiding in the treeline outside his house. Occasionally, he would come home to find his room slightly different than he had left it. He was sure Dipper had broken in too look for the journal, but without any proof there was nothing he could do. Almost exactly a week after his showdown with Dipper, Bud decided it was high time he had a meeting with Mabel, and sealed the deal on a business agreement. He had told Gideon to present it as “meeting the parents.”   
Around 5:00 that evening, he showed her in, and they sat on the couch together. His father had made him scrub down the entire house in order to impress her, and as much as Gideon hated to admit it, he probably would have done the same thing if his father had left him to his own devices. He could smell dinner cooking in the kitchen, and he twiddled his thumbs apprehensively. He was usually the one who cooked, either because his father was too drunk to care, or because he was asleep. On the few occasions his father had bothered to make anything, it had turned out horrible. “Dinner smells good,” Mabel said. “Don’t get your hopes up. My dad’s not the greatest cook.” “I’m sure. You seem like you do most of the stuff in this house.” Gideon blushed. “Well, I mean, not really. Father’s so busy with the shop, I just try to help out where I can, you know?” She rested her head against his shoulder and pulled her feet up. She was so cute snuggled up like that, it was almost easy to forget the scene in the clearing, or the scene that night at the tent. But try as he might too enjoy the moment, he couldn’t erase those moments from his memory. Bud Pines came into the room and set the table, and served the soup. It was chicken-noodle soup, but it was surprisingly good. In a few minutes, Gideon had finished his bowl. “This is really good Mr. Pines.” Mabel said with a smile. He blushed slightly. “Thank you. It’s an old family recipe. Just somethin’ simple, you know?” “Oh, don’t be modest. Gideon said you’re a great chef.” That was a lie. He had said the exact opposite to her a few minutes ago. He realized with a start she was trying to manipulate Bud as much as he was trying to manipulate her. Gideon sank deeper into the couch. It was gonna be a long night. “Why thank you, young lady.” “Oh, please. If you’re as good at running your business as you are at cooking, I’m sure you’ll be a multinational corporation in no time.” “You flatter me.” “I’m just telling the truth.” “Say, you seem to have a good eye for business, Mabel.” “My brother has a better one.” “Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. You seem like a very capable young woman. Perhaps you would like to make a business deal?” “What would it entail?” “The Tent of Telepathy would become a subsidiary of Pine’s Foriegn Imports.” “That does sound intriguing, but the tent is much larger and much more prosperous than your holdings. Becoming a subsidiary of such a small company is likely to leave us bankrupt, and entering your stocks into our business might leave you bankrupt.” “I suppose that’s true. What do you have in mind?” “You become a subsidiary of the Tent of Telepathy. We provide you with a larger consumer base, you provide us with merchandise, and we take a cut of the profits.” “That sounds worthwhile, but what cut of the profits would you be taking exactly?” “I’ll have to leave that to my brother. He’s in charge of our finances. But I can make a deal on his behalf.” She extended her hand. “What do you say? Want to make a deal?” Reluctantly, Bud took it, but after a moment, let a huge smile break onto his face. “Lovely doing business with you Mabel. It’s nice to know both your future’s are secured, at least on the business front.” “You mean me and Gideon’s future?” Gideon sat up straight. This was the first he was hearing about it. “Of course. My son is set to inherit the company.” “Oh, really? Well I’m glad we’re partners in more than just business.” Mabel snuggled against him, and sighed contentedly. Awkwardly, he put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad to see that my boy’s got a good girl like you. To be honest, I never thought he would find a girlfriend. He’s such a wimp.” “Oh, I don’t think he’s a wimp. He was so brave when we met.” Was that what she thought brave was? He certainly hadn’t felt very brave when he was getting the snot kicked out of him. He figured Mabel was probably just trying to play to his father’s desires. The three of them sat on the couch, Mabel and Bud getting to know each other. Eventually, Mabel looked up and realized it was nearly eleven at night. She groaned. “I better get home. My brother’s going to kill me for being so late.” “I’ll walk you home,” Gideon said, desperate to get out of the house. She pulled on her jacket, and waved good-bye too Bud. The two plunged into the woods, taking the back way to the Gleeful house, figuring it would be faster. They made it a ways in before they were surrounded by pitch black. Gideon cursed. “I forgot my flashlight. Let’s go get it.” “Oh, I got it.” Mabel raised her hand, and it started to glow blueish green. Gideon flinched. “You have powers too?” “Of course. I told you what we did at the tent was real magic.” She turned to him, and in the strange light her face looked incredibly eerie. She noticed the fear in his eyes and lowered her hand. “Oh, please tell me my brother didn’t threaten you to stop seeing me.” Gideon rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Not exactly.” Her brow furrowed. “Then what happened?” “You’re right. You’re brother’s not a very nice guy.” She nodded, apparently realizing what had happened. “He really isn’t. He thinks he’s in charge of everyone just cause he has that stupid amulet.” “But if you have the same powers as him, why does he try to be in control of you?” “He was born two minutes earlier than me, so he thinks he’s the Alpha twin or something stupid like that.” “Oh.” “But seriously, how did you know about Dipper’s powers?” “He...um wanted that journal you sent me after.” “Oh. I’m sorry he beat you up. I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry.” Mabel skipped into the woods, and Gideon followed after her. No matter how tense things were between the two of them, he couldn’t help but notice how insanely cute she was. After a few minutes, they were at the gates of the Gleeful mansion. She skipped down the lawn and into the interior of the mansion. Gideon turned and began to walk back home, unaware of the keen eyes following his every move.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper goes after Journal 3.

Dipper peered out from behind the trees, listening to Gideon’s footsteps crunching on the leaves. He snorted. The kid wasn’t even trying to be quiet. He dashed to the next tree, and drew his knife. He leaned dramatically against the trunk of the tree and said, “You really should try to be more quiet. You never know who might hear you.” Gideon whirled around, fists raised. He saw the boy magician and growled, “Dipper.” He was pleased to be recognized. He tossed his knife and caught it deftly. “What do you want?” “Don’t worry, Gideon. I’m not here for a fight. I just want to talk.” “Sure. Just like how you wanted to talk back at the mansion.” Dipper noticed how Gideon stood so that his vest was hidden from view by his arms. If the kid had the journal on him, that’s where it was bound to be. Dipper pushed himself off the tree, and studied the blade of his knife. “I really did just want to talk. Unfortunately, Ms. Pacifica provoked me. You really ought to keep your servants on a leash.” “She’s not my servant.” “Really? I couldn’t tell, what with you sending her to do your dirty work and all.” Gideon flinched. “That’s-That’s not what I was doing!” “Oh, really? So you're just a coward then?” “No!” “Well then what was it? Didn’t want to see the pain on my poor sister’s face?” He rolled his eyes. “You piece of filth. Where’s the journal?” “I already told you, I don’t have a stupid journal. Just leave me alone. I don’t want any trouble.” “Really? I guess you lying gave me the wrong impression.” Gideon’s eyes darted across the clearing, looking for a way out of the conversation. He clenched his jaw. The kid was a good actor, even Dipper could admit that, but he was really bad at hiding his reactions. The poor kid wore his heart on his sleeve, which made it all the easier for Dipper to manipulate him. “I didn’t lie to you.” “See, I was inclined to believe that back at the mansion.” Dipper took another step closer to Gideon, and the kid backed up. “But then I realized I had never said anything about it being journal three I wanted.” Gideon backed up further, and bumped into a tree. He flinched, and before Gideon could react, Dipper slammed him against the tree and pressed the knife against his throat. “Where’s the journal?” Gideon raised his hands. “I don’t have it, I swear. I already gave you what you wanted! Just let me go! Please!” Dipper tossed him to the ground. He put his foot on Gideon’s chest and rifled through the inside pockets of Gideon’s vest. They were empty. Furious, Dipper slammed his knife into the ground beside Gideon’s head. The kid barely flinched. Dipper helped him up, and brushed him off. “Well, I guess you really didn’t lie to me. That’s good. I would hate for things to get ugly between us,” he said with a smile. He nudged Gideon, until the kid turned in the direction of his house. He watched as the kid sighed in relief and disappeared from view. He may not have had the journal on him, but he certainly knew where it was. Dipper was determined to get his hands on the journal, if it was the last thing he ever did.  
About three days before his second encounter with Dipper, Gideon had hidden the journal. He had been over at Pacifica’s house, and they had realized that if Dipper was going to continue to search Gideon’s room, it was only a matter of time before he went after Gideon himself. They had spent nearly all day trying to think of a place to hide the journal. As Gideon turned to walk back home, his mind replayed over the events of that day. They had been sitting at the kitchen table, the light streaming through the back window. Pacifica was rattling on about some spot in the woods that she was pretty sure was guarded by friendly ghosts or something. He had unconsciously tuned her out. He really liked the way her hair caught the sunlight. It illuminated her whole face. Her bracelets clinked against each other whenever she smoothed her hair back behind her ears. He found everything she did to be cute, or worse, attractive. All he could focus on was the way she looked. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, and he snapped back to focus. “Gideon, are you even listening?” “Yeah, just thinking about you-I mean, thinking about your plan.” She blushed. “Oh, yeah? What’s my plan?” “This clearing with ghosts or something. Let’s not do anything supernatural. Dipper might know about it.” She nodded. “I guess that’s true. You’re always so smart.” This time Gideon blushed. “Th-thanks.” “Well, if we can’t do the clearing, what do you think we should do?” “I think maybe we should leave it to somebody. The problem is, I don’t know who we can trust.” “Well, I’m sure there's someone we can trust.” “You’re right. There is someone I can trust.” He pulled out the journal, and slid it across the table to her. “Are you sure, Gideon?” “Yeah. I trust you with my life Pacifica. I know you’ll keep it safe.” Slowly, she took the book, and held it close to her chest. “I will. Dipper’s not gonna get his hands on this. I promise.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Pacifica. I’m really glad you and I are friends.” She smiled. “I’m really glad we’re friends too.” They held each other's gaze for a moment, before Gideon pulled away awkwardly. “I, uh, I should head home. It’s getting late.” “Oh, um right. I guess I should let you go then.” “Um, bye?” “Bye!” He left the house in a nervous panic, trying not to think about what had just happened. Gideon pulled himself out of the memory. He snuck in through the back door, and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Surely, he couldn’t have feelings for Pacifica, could he?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have some fluff. Litteraly this chapter is nothing but fluff.

Pacifica opened her eyes and threw off the covers. She swung her legs off the bed and immediately checked to make sure that the journal was still in it’s hiding place. She had promised Gideon that she would keep it safe, and she was determined to keep that promise. She couldn’t let her friend down. She pulled her outfit on for the day and tossed her hair up in a ponytail. She smoothed it over her shoulder. As she was brushing her teeth, she wondered what adventure she and Gideon were going to go on today. Most days, they would explore the woods, trying to find the creatures and spots listed in the journal. She finished brushing her teeth and went downstairs. Her parents still weren’t home, but she had expected that. They were often gone for long stretches on a business trip. Pacifica knew better than to ask questions, but it seemed the company stocks were plummeting. Mom and Dad had taken more business trips in the last month than they had in the last year. She was worried for them. She took a deep breath. No point in focusing on those negative thoughts. She squared her shoulders and put a smile on her face. She was going to seize the day. She grabbed her keys and the friendship bracelet she had made for Gideon. She knew he was going to love it. Sure, her parent’s thought they were much too childish, but they were so fun to make, and each one was a memory. She skipped out the door, and turned in the direction of Gideon’s house. She had tucked the journal into her jacket, just in case Gideon needed it back. In a few minutes, she was at his back door. Before she could knock, he opened the door, pulling his hat on. “Guess what, I was right. It was only a matter of time before Dipper went after me!” he said with a smile. “I think you’re the only person I know who would be happy about that,” she said, taking his cap and holding it out of reach. “C’mon, give it back!” SHe handed it back. “You know I wouldn’t need to give it back if you weren’t so short.” He shoved her playfully. “I’m not short. You’re just super tall.” “Keep telling yourself that, shortie.” They wandered deeper into the woods, insearch of some magical creature, or fantastical object. As they walked, Pacifica couldn’t help but notice how confident Gideon looked while he was out monster hunting. Normally he was super awkward, but there was something different about him when he was in the woods. It was really attractive. Pacifica stopped in her tracks. No way. Gideon was, like, objectively attractive. That didn’t mean she had feelings for him, did she? Gideon turned back to her, and noticed her expression. “You Ok, Pacifica?” She shook her head and smiled. “Yuper-do. Just had a weird thought there.” There was an awkward silence, and he clearly didn’t buy it. “If you’re sure. You wanna talk about it?” “So, Dipper went after you last night, huh?” She said, quickly changing the subject. Gideon nodded. ‘“Oh, yeah. After I dropped Mabel off. He must have followed me through the woods or something. He wanted the journal.” “But I thought you had convinced him you didn’t have it back at the mansion?” “So did I. My lie must not have been as good as I thought.” “I guess not. You’re ok, though, right?” “I’m fine.” he said with a chuckle. “I’m guessing your evening was not nearly as eventful?” “Nope! I binge watched the new season of Ghost Harassers.” “God, that sounds so much better than what I did last night.” “What did you do last night?” “Oh, I brought Mabel to meet my dad. They talked business like half the night. I’m glad I got to spend time with her and all, but I was so bored.” Pacifica tried to ignore the pang of jealousy that welled up. If she didn’t have feelings for Gideon, why was she jealous of Mabel? Of course, Mabel and her brother were psychopaths. Gideon could do so much better than Mabel. He deserved someone sweet, and kind, and someone who would respect him, and go along with all his crazy adventures. He deserved someone...like, well her. Not her specifically of course. She definitely didn’t have feelings for him. She just wanted him to be happy! She sighed. There was no denying it now. She liked Gideon. But he was still with Mabel, and Dipper had threatened her. Even if she wanted to be with him, she couldn’t.

Gideon trekked through the woods, trying not to think about last night. He was doing his best not to think of Pacifica. It certainly didn’t help that the sunlight had caught her hair when she had stopped. She looked gorgeous with the sunlight tangled in her hair. Others might have thought it was childish for a fifteen year old to wear friendship bracelets, but he thought it was cute. He thought everything about her style was cute. The only thing that didn’t seem to match with the rest of her outfit was her letterman jacket. He wondered if it had been a gift or something. He supposed the only way to do that would be to ask her. He wasn’t sure if she would be comfortable with a question like that, though. She seemed like she would be open to any questions, but then again, he would probably be asking her something really personal. He groaned. Why did this matter so much? It was just Pacifica. The only reason he would be stressing over it would be if he liked her. And he definitely didn’t like her. Besides, he and Mabel were together. The two stopped to catch their breath. “Are we almost there?” “Don’t know. Let me see the journal.” She pulled it out from the inside of her jacket and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed for a moment, and there was an awkward pause. “Uh-right. L-looks like the clearing should be just up ahead.” “Let’s get going then.” She skipped off into the woods, and Gideon followed. They came to the clearing, and were greeted by a small pond with a waterfall. “It’s so pretty!” Pacifica gasped. She flung off her jacket, and ran into the water. Gideon gently set the journal down on the bank and took off his shoes. “How’s the water?” “Why don’t you come see?” Pacifica splashed over too him, and yanked his arm. He stumbled into the water and lost his balance. He pushed himself back up, now completely soaked. Pacifica offered a hand to help him up, but he splashed her instead. “Hey! That was mean!” she said in between her laughter. He shoved her playfully, and she fell down. She splashed him back, and the two started a splash fight. About an hour later, as they lay on the bank, drying off, Gideon had to admit the few short hours with Pacifica had been a thousand times more enjoyable then a whole day with Mabel. He looked over at her. She was laying on her stomach, legs waving in the air, picking at grass. For some reason, he really wanted to lay next to her. To talk for hours on end, and spend the whole day together, and to maybe be more than friends. With a start, he realized he really did have feelings for Pacifica. He sat up as he felt his entire face go red. “You ok? You started flailing around all the sudden,” she said. Gideon pulled the collar of his vest over his face, pleading the earth would open and swallow him up whole. He groaned. Pacifica moved over to him, and gently pulled his vest off his face. “Seriously, are you ok?” “I'm fine! I’m fine! It’s nothing, really!” “Are you sure? You look pretty-” “S-say, where’d you get that jacket?” “Oh, this old thing?” She pulled the jacket on, and fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. “My dad gave it to me. It was one of the last things he gave me before the company got really big and he had to be gone all the time. Reminds me of home.” “Oh, Pacifica, I’m so sorry.” He took her hand without thinking, and almost pulled away, before she squeezed it gently. She leaned her head against his shoulders. “This was fun. We should come here more often.” “Yeah...we should.” Slowly he turned to her, and she looked up to meet his eyes. She kissed him. Pacifica pulled back suddenly, her face turning bright red. “Oh my God! I am so sorry! I shouldn’t have done that! I just thought that maybe you-and my feelings-and-and-” Gideon cut her off by returning the kiss. “That was nice. Don’t apologize for it.” She laced his fingers with his, and they leaned in for another kiss. A horrified shriek interrupted them. The two looked up to see Mabel standing at the edge of the clearing, Journal Three in her hands. She glared daggers at Pacifica, and Gideon could see she was moments away from actually drawing her knife. “You little-”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel attacks Gideon and Pacifica. Dipper and Will...well

Dipper walked through the woods, his nose buried in the journal. Occasionally, Will would tug on his sleeve, and he would turn, barely missing a tree. He was looking for a manticore. There should have been one in the area. He was searching through the journal, trying to find where it had last been spotted. “S-sir, I think that, perhaps you ought to watch where you’re going.” Dipper waved him off. “Ah, I’ve got you to protect me. I’ll be fine.” He wasn’t sure, but he could’ve sworn he saw Will blush. “I-I’m flattered, but you really should be more careful. I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt.” The demon was definitely blushing. Dipper found it intriguing. He didn’t know much about how to read people, and he certainly knew even less about how to read immortal demons, but he wondered if Will had more complicated feelings than just friendship. He dismissed it. He would have to study the demon’s reactions before he would be able to come to any kind of conclusion. They entered the clearing, and Dipper crouched down behind the bushes. Will followed his lead. Dipper consulted the journal, and saw that the manticore’s den was just across the clearing, dug into the hillside. After a moment, the manticore came out of the cave, and Dipper caught his breath. He pulled out a pen and began to take notes. The manticore caught a scent, and turned in their direction. Will went rigid, and grabbed Dipper’s wrist. “I don’t think this was a good idea.” he whispered. The manticore lost interest in the scent, and plodded over to the other side of the clearing. “We’re fine. Look, he doesn’t even know we’re here.” Will’s grip relaxed, but he didn’t move his hand. Dipper glanced over, and saw Will staring at him. The demon turned away quickly, his face bright red. It was interesting to watch Will’s face. There were so many odd expression’s Dipper had never seen before. If Dipper had to give it a name, he supposed he would call it love. He had of course seen that kind of expression on his sister’s face before, but Will felt different. It was like he felt a different kind of love. That settled it. Will certainly had feelings for Dipper.  
Mabel dropped the journal and lunged at Pacifica. They crashed into each other, and Pacifica shoved Mabel off. She went rolling into a tree, but managed to recover her footing. She whirled around, and flung her knife, barely missing Pacifica’s face. She realized that she had just disarmed herself. She raised her hand, and summoned the magic from her amulet. It was rare that she cast spells, but she was still able to do it. She wasn’t nearly as good at it as Dipper, but she could still hold her own in a fight. A ball of blue flames appeared in her hand, and she flung at the base of the treeline. It caught in an instant, and soon the clearing was surrounded by a wall of flames. “Are you insane?” Gideon yelled. “You could burn down the entire forest!” “I’d do anything to protect you, my sweet,” Mabel said, another ball of flames in her hand. She had always had an easier time with flame spells then her brother did. Of course, her brother was better with telekinesis, but she never cared why they were better at different spells. She wondered where Dipper had gone. She had gone into the forest with both him and Will, but they had gotten separated. They would probably see the flames and come to help her. Until then, she would make sure the witch paid for her crimes. “Don’t worry, Gideon. I’ll protect you.” “I don’t need protecting. Mabel, I don’t like you. That’s not Pacifica’s fault. That’s mine.” The witch had corrupted him more than she thought. Her only choice was to put her down. Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun while she was at it. She flung a ball of flames at Pacifica, and dove for her knife.

The manticore had eventually left the clearing, and Dipper had stood up. Will insisted they move a little further from the den. They had moved down by the creek, and Will had surprised him by pulling out a picnic blanket. “What’s this?” “You’re just always so busy, and I wanted to surprise you with a nice day.” Dipper did his best to hide a smile. It was a pleasant surprise, but he had to control his emotions around Will. His manipulation had been painstakingly built up, and it could fall apart all too easily. He did sit down on the blanket however. “This was a lovely surprise.” Will blushed softly, and gave him a shy smile. “What are you waiting for? Sit down.” After a moment of hesitation, Will sat down on the edge of the blanket. Dipper scooted closer to him, and casually put his hand over Will’s. A relationship would certainly have it’s benefits. It would let Will trust him easier, and the demon would be more loyal to him, but there were also drawbacks. If he developed genuine feelings for the demon, it could become a liability. But he supposed that so long as nothing ever came of it, it could work. “Thank you, Will.” The demon looked away shyly. “I-it was nothing. Really. I just wanted to give you a day off.” “I wanted to give you a present too.” Dipper slid a bracelet off his wrist. It was a simple leather loop, with a small rhinestone in the middle. It was probably fake, but it looked impressive. “What’s that?” “It’s a bracelet my mom gave me. It’s probably a crappy present, but I wanted to give you something.” Gingerly, Will took the bracelet and slipped it on. “I like it. Thank you.” “Of course.” Dipper laced his fingers with Will’s and leaned back. “I’m glad you like it. I’ve been waiting till I can give it to someone who means a lot to me.” Will flushed red. “I-I-You’re really important to me too, Dipper. You’re my friend.” “I was hoping we could be more than just friends.” Will stammered, and apparently lost the ability to form a full sentence. Dipper leaned in, and shut him up with a kiss.

Mabel’s grip tightened on the hilt of her knife, and she swept Pacifica’s legs out from under her. Pacifica landed on her back, and Mabel pinned her to the ground. “This is going to be fun.” Mabel slashed Pacifica’s cheek, and a trickle of blood ran down the blonde’s face. Mabel grinned. She raised the knife, but something slammed into the back of her head. She lost her grip, and Pacifica kneed her in the chin. She hit the ground, and groggily sat up. Gideon and Pacifica were holding hands, running to the edge of the clearing. She growled. There was no way she would let that witch take her precious Gideon. Flames danced across her finger tips, and she flung them at the pair's feet. It knocked them off balance, and they tumbled to the ground. Mabel regained her footing, and stood over them. “Mabel, please, stop!” Gideon cried, putting his arm in front of Pacifica. “Don’t worry sweetheart. I’ll make sure this witch burns.” By now the fire had spread across the entire clearing, and the blue firelight illuminated her face. She raised her knife once again. Gideon scrambled to his feet and moved in front of Pacifica. “Don’t make me fight you. I don’t want to have too hurt you Mabel.” “Well, neither do I Gideon, but I will if you don’t move.” “I’m not moving until you calm down.” “Alright then.” She brought her knife down, but Gideon caught her wrist. He kicked her in the stomach, and she stumbled back. He grabbed Pacifica’s hand, scooped up Journal three, and darted for the edge of the clearing. A flaming branch fell in front of them, and they whirled around. There was nowhere to go. They were trapped with Mabel.  
Will flailed back and lost his balance. Dipper put his hands over his mouth. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry! Should I not have done that?” “No, the kiss was fine. It was nice actually,” Will said. “It’s just, I’m worried it’s not proper.” Dipper’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” “I mean, you’re the master and I’m the servant. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.” “Screw my reputation.” Dipper kissed him again, and this time Will returned it. Gently, the blue haired demon rested his head on Dipper’s shoulder. Dipper stroked Will’s hair softly, and soon he noticed the demon was dozing off. He leaned back, and took in the view. The oregon forest was gorgeous. His eyes fell across the top of the trees, where the leafy green of the pines met the deep blue of the sky. Suddenly he noticed that smoke was rising from one spot, maybe half a mile away. He nudged Will, and the demon opened his eyes groggily. “What is it, Dipper?” “Didn’t Mabel come with us?” Will nodded. “Yeah, she did, but she wandered off. Why?” Dipper pointed to the rising trail of smoke. “Oh no.” “What are the odds Mabel’s over there?” “Really, really high.” They scrambled to their feet, and took off running.

The flames had climbed high enough that the three teenagers could no longer see the trees around them. Ashes and cinders blocked out the sky above them, and the flames crept closer. The trio backed up, and formed a rough circle, looking for a way out of the clearing. “This is all your fault, Pacifica.” “How is this my fault? You’re the one who literally set the entire forest on fire!” “I wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t been trying to steal my Gideon!” “Guys, bigger problems!” Gideon yelled. He looked over his shoulder at Mabel. “Can you stop the flames?” “No. I can only summon them. I can’t control them.” “So we have no solution, then?” Pacifica muttered under her breath. “That’s just great.” “Don’t worry. We just need to wait for my brother,” Mabel said. “He should have some kind of spell to fix this.” “Oh, is that what you do any time you get in over your head? Go crying to your brother?” Pacifica snapped. “Oh, boo hoo, I messed everything up, and now I need someone to save me. Is that why you can’t even take down two unarmed kids?” “Paz, how about we don’t provoke the knife wielding psychopath?” “Ah, she can’t do anything. After all, she needs her brother to save her.” Mabel turned to face Pacifica, but Gideon stepped between them. “Guys, let’s settle this while we’re not trapped in a burning forest.”   
Dipper and Will crashed through the forest, and within a few minutes, they had reached the edge of the fire. They nearly choked on the smoke, and Dipper stumbled back. His eyes began to water, but he noticed that Will seemed mostly unaffected. “The smoke doesn’t bother you, Will?” He shook his head. “I’m a demon. I’ve got more stamina. I barely even noticed the smoke.” “Do you think you would be able to find Mabel in there?” “M-maybe. I’ve never tried walking through fire before.” “You have to try. Please.” Will nodded and plunged into the flames.  
Mabel heard branches cracking in front of her, and drew her knife, prepared for any threat. Someone stumbled out of the flames, covered in ash, and illuminated by the blue firelight. Mabel readied herself for a fight, and behind her, Gideon and Pacifica did the same. The figure stepped forward. It was Will. Mabel lowered her knife. “Will, thank goodness. How did you get through the flames?” Will doubled over and started coughing. “Well come on, I don’t have all day.” “The guy just walked through fire,” Gideon said. “Give him a minute.” “If you insist, sweetheart.” Mabel lowered her knife, and let Will catch his breath. “Dipper sent me to get you.” “Well, that’s great and all, but I can’t walk through fire.” “I-I know.” “So what am I supposed to do?” “You’re good at fire spells, right?” Will asked. Mabel nodded. “Oh, you could power me up!” Will nodded. His eyes began to glow, and magical power surged through Mabel. She raised her hand, and sucked the flames into her palm. After a moment, all that was left of the forest fire, was a hot dense ball of flame. Mabel closed her fist, and snuffed out the flames. She saw Dipper standing at the edge of the clearing, a concerned look on his face. “Mabel, are you ok?” Mabel nodded, and Dipper glanced past her too see Gideon and Pacifica. His eyes fell on Journal Three in Gideon’s hands. “So you do have it.” It took Gideon a moment to realize what he was talking about, but once he did, he quickly hid the journal behind his back. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Mabel said. She turned back to face him and raised her knife once more. “Looks like you were right brother dear. My sweet Gideon does have the journal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suprise! You guys get a nice long chapter! I honestly can't believe this ended up being 2000 words! If you guys are enjoying this, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your guys thoughts!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the fire has been taken care of, Mabel returns to the fight, with Dipper and Will by her side.

Gideon backed up slowly, tucking the journal firmly into his vest. Pacifica glanced around the clearing, looking for anything she could use as a weapon. Her eyes fell on a branch a couple feet away. Unfortunately, it was out of reach. They had nearly made it to the edge of the clearing before Dipper raised his hand. Gideon froze in place, unable to move. “Give me the journal, Gideon.” He gritted his teeth, and shook his head. “Why not?” “Because you’re the villain. I’m not gonna let the villain win.” “Why ever would you think I would be the villain?” “You threatened to kill Pacifica! How are you not evil?” “Well, I suppose you’re right. That certainly does sound like something the villain would do.” “Oh, stop gloating, brother, and just take the dumb book already.” “If you insist.” While the twins were distracted, Pacifica lunged for the fallen branch. “Masters!” Will cried out softly. The two turned to him, and he pointed at Pacifica. She was already running at them, the branch held high. Just before she could bring it down on Dipper’s head, he caught it midair with his telekinesis. “I must admit, that was a good effort. You nearly hit me.” Pacifica struggled against Dipper’s magic, but she was well and truly frozen in place. “But, you see, I’ve taken on people much scarier that you. You’re not much of a threat.” Pacifica glanced back to see if Gideon had gotten free. She hoped her distraction had caused Dipper to lose his hold on him. Unfortunately, it looked like Gideon was still frozen in place, but it seemed like perhaps the magic was weaker. If she could just keep him distracted long enough, maybe he would lose his grip on Gideon entirely. “Why do you even want the journal? It’s just a stupid book! Why is it so important?” Dipper snorted. “Do you really not understand what it is you have? Those books hold the secrets of this town! Infinite power at your fingertips! And you think they’re not all that important? How naive are you?” “Those books? It sounds like you already have one.” He just smirked. “Do you have one?” “I don’t see why I would tell you that.” Pacifica smiled awkwardly. “Because I asked nicely?” Dipper doubled over with laughter. “How thick are you? You can’t really be that naive, can you? Trust me, asking nicely doesn’t get you anywhere in life. You have to take what you want.” “But violence should never be the answer.” “Let me give you some free advice blondie. There are people who do think violence is the answer. And you have to know how to defend yourself from them. That’s the only way to survive.” “But that doesn’t mean you have to resort to violence.” “Not all problems can be talked out. That kind of thinking will get you killed.” He let Pacifica absorb the information, and she glanced behind her to see if Gideon was free yet. He was able to move a little, and he managed to take a tentative step. Dipper followed her gaze, and saw that Gideon had moved. “Oh,” he raised his eyebrows. “So you were trying to distract me. Did you really think I couldn't feel the magic weakening?” He turned to the kid with the blue hair, Will. Pacifica remembered him from that night at the mansion. He had been their servant or something. “Power me up.” “I-I’m not sure I should Dipper.” “Why not?!” he snapped. “I-it might hurt you Dipper.” “What do you mean it might hurt me?” “That kind of power isn’t meant for humans.” “And you’re just telling me about this now?” Slowly, Will nodded. “Why?” “Because you were so happy whenever you were more powerful. I wanted to see you happy.” “But you let me take a huge risk, didn’t you?” By now, his hold had loosened on Pacifica, and she managed to move her fingers. Will nodded. “I thought I was doing the right thing.” “I didn’t summon you to do the right thing. I summoned you to protect me.” “I-I’m sorry,” Will whispered, his eyes glued to the ground. Dipper sighed. “I suppose you were just trying to make me happy.” He took Will’s hand, and kissed his head. Pacifica managed to readjust her grip on the branch. She’d only need one more second, and the magic would have dissolved completely. “Now, I know you don’t want to, but you need to power me up.” “A-are you sure?” “Just enough to take down these brats. I’ll be fine.” Will nodded. Pacifica raised the branch once more, but suddenly, she was flung across the clearing. “Now, now. None of that Pacifica. I can’t have you ruining my moment of victory.” She struggled to her knees, but that was as far as she made it before it felt like there was a gigantic weight pressing down on her, keeping her trapped in place. “Now, Gideon. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I don’t particularly like getting my hands dirty, but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing too. So I’ll give you one last chance. Hand over the journal, and I’ll let you and Pacifica leave unharmed.” Mabel made a disgruntled sound. “What is it now, Sister?” “Pacifica’s mine.” Dipper sighed and rolled his eyes. “What happened this time?” “That witch stole my sweet Gideon!” Dipper turned to glare at Gideon. “You’re cheating on her?” “What, no!” “Oh, so you were just gonna go out with Pacifica and never tell her you were going to see someone else?” “Of course not! I tried breaking up with her, but you nearly killed me!” “What?” Mabel asked, turning to her brother. “Dipper, what did you do?” He rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I, maybe, kinda threatened him so he’d keep seeing you.” Pacifica felt the pressure on her begin to lift. She noticed Gideon began to scoot away from the twins, and towards her. “Brother, you need to trust me to be able to handle these things on my own!” “I do trust you!” “No you don’t! You constantly think I need some knight in shining armor to save me.” “I don’t think that.” “Well, you certainly act like it.” Finally, the pressure on Pacifica disappeared, and Gideon helped her to her feet. She glanced over at Will, and it could have been her imagination, but it seemed like he was purposely avoiding looking over at them. “Maybe I don’t trust you!” Dipper yelled. “But that’s only because you’ve messed up every plan I’ve put together.” Mabel screamed and lunged at him. Pacifica and Gideon left them to their fight, and ran.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Dipper talk about what happened in the clearing, and Will makes a descision.

Will carried the empty tea set through the halls, and down the stairs to the kitchen. Gingerly, he set the teacups in the sink, and turned on the faucet. He began to wash the pitcher. After a few minutes, he heard a bell ringing from upstairs. Dipper probably needed something. He dried his hands, and glanced at the clock. It was already nearly seven in the evening. He walked up to the second floor, and poked his head into Dipper’s room. The young magician was sitting at his desk, pouring over journal two. He gently knocked on the door, and Dipper startled. “Who’s there?!” “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” “Oh, it’s just you. Sorry I freaked out. Guess I was just absorbed in my work.” “Oh. What did you need?” “Just kind of hungry, I guess.” “Oh, I can run down and get you a snack.” “No, it’s alright. Stay. We haven’t gotten a chance to really talk lately.” It had been a few days since the scene in the clearing. Dipper was still a little beaten up from his fight with Mabel, but he had healed pretty well. Will sat down at the foot of Dipper’s bed, on the bench where he stored his books. He had carelessly slung his cape across the arm, and Will gently folded it up. He thought it was cute how Dipper took off his cape whenever he was concentrating on the journals. It was an endearing little quirk. “What did you want to talk about?” Will asked. “Well, we just never really got a chance to talk to each other after we, you know, in the clearing.” Will had to cover up a giggle. Dipper was always perfectly in control, he always had his emotions in check, but all it took was a kiss to fluster him? “What are you laughing at?” “You’re just really cute when you get flustered.” The tips of his ears went red. “I’m not flustered!” Will giggled. “You’re adorable!” Dipper’s face turned bright red. “You’re not too bad yourself you know.” Will’s face grew warm, and he did his best to hide a smile. “Now who’s flustered?” Will shoved him playfully. Dipper lost his balance and fell out of his chair. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” Dipper grabbed Will’s shirt, and pulled him down. Dipper kissed him on the lips, and shoved him off. Will lay next to him, and they laced fingers. Dipper turned to look at him. “So, you still wanna be more than friends?”

Nervously, Gideon knocked on Pacifica's door. There was a scrambling from inside, and after a moment, the door opened. Pacifica stood in the doorway, her jacket on and her bag slung over her shoulder. She had her hair down, and a simple pink headband in. He liked the casual style, but now he felt overdressed. He had put on a white button down shirt, slacks and dress shoes. “Aw, you look so good,” Pacifica said. Gideon chuckled. “I think I kinda overdressed.” “I think it’s cute.” “You do?” She nodded. She tried to look behind him. “What you got behind your back?” He pulled out the bouquet of daisies and handed it to her. She gasped and took it. “These are so pretty!” “Yeah, I thought you’d like them.” He heard someone from inside. “Who’s that?” “Oh, my parents are here for the weekend.” “Oh, we can reschedule then.” “No, it's ok. I need to get out of the house anyway. They’re suffocating.” “Really? I’m sorry.” She closed the door behind her. “You know what? Let's just have a normal night. No Gleefuls, no supernatural creatures, no parents. Just two normal teenagers going to see a normal movie.” Gideon smiled. “I think I can agree too.” He offered her his elbow, and she took it. “Shall we, Ms. Southeast?” They walked off to enjoy their date.

By now it was nearly ten o’ clock. Will and Dipper had had dinner, and Will had insisted Mabel go to bed. She was still recovering from the fire, and Will had been adamant that she get a full night’s sleep. She had only relented when Dipper had agreed with him. Now he was helping Dipper put the finishing touches on a trap for a griffin. The twins were hoping to incorporate more fantastical creatures into their shows. Will added some more paint to the outside of the structure. “I think that should do it.” Dipper glanced over, and said, “Add a little more brown. It looks too perfect.” Will nodded, and smeared on a little more brown. “Do you mind if I ask you something?” Dipper nodded. “Ask me anything.” “Why do you want the power in the journals?” “I want to rule this pathetic little town.” “But don’t you already kinda rule it? I mean, the Tent of Telepathy is the biggest attraction the town has to offer.” “Yeah, but I want to be the one who makes the rules. I want to be in charge.” “Why?” “I want to make sure no one can ever stand in my way again. I want to be the most powerful person in this town.” “And what if someone does stand in your way?” “Then I’ll kill them.” Will’s hand froze. “What is it?” Will faked a smile. “It’s nothing.” “Are you sure? You know, since we’re together, you can talk to me about anything.” Will smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Dipper had sounded just like someone he had known. Someone who had made his life a living hell. He promised himself he would never let Dipper become that kind of person. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 10:30. “You should probably go to bed.” Dipper glanced at the clock. “It’s only ten thirty. I’m not that tired anyways.” “Yeah, but we don’t know if you’re still recovering from the fire. Besides, you should get plenty of rest.” “Why?” “I was...maybe...kind of planning on taking you out on a date tomorrow.” Will whispered nervously. “Oh.” Dipper looked up in surprise. “Well, I guess if I’m gonna have a busy day tomorrow...” He started to put the paint away, and slipped off his cape. Will took it, and hung it up. Dipper got ready for bed, and Will tucked him in. “Good night, Dipper.” He kissed the other boy's forehead, and turned to leave. Dipper caught his wrist, and Will turned back to him. “Good night,” Dipper said groggily. “Good night, Dipper.” “I love you, Will.” “I love you too, Dipper.” Slowly, Dipper’s grip loosened, and within minutes, the young teen was snoring softly. Will smiled down at him. He looked so peaceful sleeping. It was almost easy to forget how casually he had rattled off those words. “I’ll kill them.” It had disturbed how a fifteen year old could say something like that so easily. Will had to make sure Dipper never had the power to act on those words.

He tiptoed over to Dipper’s desk. Gently, he closed Journal Two, and picked it up. It was heavier than he had expected. He nearly dropped it, but managed to catch it just in time. Softly, he crept out of Dipper’s room, journal tucked beneath his arm. Now he just needed to get out of the house without being seen. He crept down the hall, avoiding the creaky floorboards out of habit. He stopped outside of Mabel’s room, trying to see if she was asleep. Her breathing was soft and even, and after a moment, he continued down the hall. He crept down the stairs, and slipped out the front door. There was a light drizzle, and he tucked the journal under his shirt to protect the pages. He crept out the gate, and scurried down the street. He knew where he had to take the journal. He was there in a few minutes. He went around to the back door, and knocked softly. There was some shouting from inside, and after a minute Gideon opened the door. He froze when he saw Will. He stood there blinking for a few minutes, and Will rubbed at his arm nervously. “What do you want?” He peered into the treeline behind Will. “Dipper’s not hiding in the shadows is he?” “No! No! A-at least I hope not. He doesn’t know I’m here.” “So what, you’re just stabbing your boyfriend in the back?” “M-maybe this was a bad idea.” He whispered. Will’s eyes started darting around, looking for a way out of the conversation. “No, I'm sorry.” Gideon said. “What can I do for you?” Will fidgeted nervously. “I, uh, I have something for you.” He pulled Journal two out, and thrust it at Gideon. He couldn’t meet his eyes. He simply stared at the ground as Gideon took the journal. “T-thank you.” Gideon said. “Don’t mention it,” Will whispered under his breath. “But won’t Dipper be furious with you?” “Dipper can’t find out.” Will managed to meet Gideon’s eyes. “Please.” “Of course not. I just want to make sure this isn’t going to get you in trouble.” “I don’t care if I get in trouble. I just want to protect Dipper.” “Protect him from what?” “These books are leading him down a dark path. I can’t let him destroy his life like that. I’m just trying to do the right thing.” “Oh. Well, thank you. I know that took a lot of courage.” Will nodded. “I should go.” He turned to leave, but Gideon called out after him. “Wait! Do you wanna stay the night? I’ve got plenty of room.” Will smiled at the offer, but shook his head. “Dipper can’t know I left. Besides, I don’t mind staying at the mansion.” “If you're sure.” He took a deep breath. “Will, you don’t seem like a bad guy. So why are you working for the Gleefuls?” “They really aren’t as bad as they seem. They’re really nice once you get to know them.” Gideon raised his eyebrows, and realization dawned on his face. “You and Dipper are together, aren’t you?” Slowly, Will nodded. “P-please don’t tell anyone. I don’t know if Dipper wants anyone else to know yet.” Gideon nodded. “Your secret’s safe with me.” He paused. “Will, if you ever need a safe place to stay, my door is always open.” Will smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” He turned and scurried back through the woods.

Dipper groaned, and closed his eyes shut. It was too early to get up. He pulled the covers over his head, and rolled over grumpily. He must have been more tired than he had thought last night. He had passed out almost immediately. He buried himself deeper under the covers and tried to go back to sleep. After a few minutes, he decided it was hopeless. He threw the covers off, and swung his legs off the side of the bed. He pulled on his slippers and went to brush his teeth. Will came in with breakfast just as he was buttoning up his shirt. “Good morning, Dipper. How did you sleep?” “Pretty good.” He continued to struggle with a button, and Will set down the tray. “Here let me.” He finished buttoning up the shirt, and his fingers lingered for a moment on Dipper’s chest. He pulled away with a start. “S-sorry.” “I don’t mind.” He kissed Will on the forehead. “Thanks for tucking me in last night. It was nice.” “Of course. You looked so peaceful while you were sleeping.” Dipper blushed. “What’s for breakfast?” “Oh, just some pancakes. I would have made more, but I overslept. I’m sorry.” “These pancakes look excellent.” Dipper took a bite. “They taste excellent too.” He scarfed them down, and afterwards turned to look at Will. “So what are we going to do today? You did promise me a date after all.” Will smiled and winked. “It’s a surprise.” “I do like surprises. Let me get my cape.” Dipper slung on the cape, and reached for his journal. It wasn’t there. “Will, did I move my journal last night?” Will was noticeably paler, but Dipper figured he was just worried about the journal. “N-no sir. I don’t think so.” “Then where did it go?” Will didn’t say anything. “Someone must have stolen it!” Dipper growled. “Will, did anything happen last night?” “I don’t know. I went to bed just after you did. Everyone was asleep.” Dipper clenched his jaw and nodded. He slid his hand across the desk, throwing everything to the floor. “Date’s canceled. We’re going to find this thief.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud finds out about Gideon and Pacifica's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you guys need me to add a trigger warning to this chapter.

Gideon and Pacifica poured over the journal, their half eaten dinner forgotten. By now, it was common for Pacifica to come over to Gideon’s house and study the journals, or to even spend the night. It was just about the one place he knew they were safe from Dipper and Mabel, which also made it a good place to study the journals. “Oh, hey, look at this. Looks like there's a counter for the twins’ amulet.” He glanced over the page. “Yeah, but it looks like the author never figured out where it was.” “I mean, we could always try finding it.” “Yeah, but we have no idea where to start. And honestly, the forest is so huge, it could be anywhere.” She laced her fingers with his. “Then it’ll be an adventure.” Gideon smiled. “Just the two of us, huh?” But now that they had managed to get Journal Two, they stood a chance of defeating the Gleeful twins. He had to admit he had always enjoyed their adventures together, and a weapon against the Gleefuls was better than nothing. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Someone cleared their throat behind the pair, and Gideon whirled around. “I thought you and Mabel were still together?” his father said from the hallway. Gideon cursed silently. “Gideon, is everything all right?” Pacifica asked, her smile faltering. She must have seen the flash of anger in Bud’s eyes. “Gideon, who is this?” Bud growled. Gideon could smell the beer on his breath. He would have to be careful. “This is Pacifica. She’s a friend of mine.” Bud grabbed him by the collar of his vest, and pulled him to a standing position. “Don’t lie to me, boy. Who the hell is this?” “I told you. She’s just a friend.” “Then why’d you kiss her?” Pacifica stood up, and separated Gideon and his father. “We’re together, ok. You don’t need to threaten him.” Bud shoved her to the ground. “Pacifica!” Gideon knelt by her, and helped her sit up. “You are going too keep seeing Mabel.” Bud said. “I’m not going to let you ruin this opportunity for me!” “I’m not going to keep seeing Mabel,” Gideon said, through gritted teeth. He stood up, and faced his father. “I’m not going to keep going out with a psychopath just so you can get rich!” “I don’t care about the money anymore!” Bud growled. “If she thinks I betrayed her, she will kill me!” “So what?! I’m just supposed to be your scapegoat? Do you even care if I end up dead?” Bud slapped him. Gideon stood there in shock, his face stinging from the blow. He had been shoved a couple times, but he had never been slapped across the face. “Of course I don’t care if you die. You’re just a means to an end. I never wanted you in the first place. The only reason I kept you around was because you were useful.” Gideon had figured that was the case, but the confirmation still stung. “And now, thanks to you, I have to figure out how to fix this!” His eyes fell on the two journals on the table. “Aren’t those the books that Dipper kid always carries around?” Gideon started to panic. After all his hard work, there was no way he was going to let the Gleefuls get their hands on the journals. “No, they’re not. They belong to me.” Bud pushed Gideon out of the way, and Pacifica put her hand on his shoulder. He got the message. It wasn’t worth risking his father’s wrath. Bud flipped through the pages of journal two, and saw that Dipper had signed one of the entries. “These are the books that kid wants!” He turned to Gideon. “You lied to me!” Bud scooped up the journals, and pulled his coat on. “Now I have to fix this.” Gideon steeled his nerves. He couldn’t let the Gleefuls get their hands on the journals. Gideon lunged for his father, and managed to knock him off balance. Unfortunately, Bud didn’t let go of the journals. Blindly, Bud swung his fist, and hit Gideon across the face. His nose throbbed, and a trickle of blood ran down his chin. Gideon stared for a moment, and Bud waited for Gideon to make another attempt to retrieve the journals. After a moment of silence, Bud grunted and said, “That’s what I thought.” He walked out the door, and slammed it behind him. After a moment, Gideon managed to collect himself. He turned to Pacifica. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” “Gideon, I’m so sorry. We’re going to get the journals back, I promise.” He nodded numbly. “Let me see your nose.” He let her patch him up, and when she finished said, “You should probably head home. I’m not sure how my dad’s gonna react to seeing you here.” She nodded. “Call me if you need anything.” “I will.” She turned to leave, her fingers trailing on his arm for a moment. “Goodbye Gideon.” “Bye Pacifica.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud goes to return the journals.

Bud Pines walked down the street. Even though main street was usually crowded and bustling with tourists, it was quiet this time of night. He turned down a side street, in the direction of the woods. The Gleeful mansion was only a few blocks away from the Tent of Telepathy, and it was only a short walk from the Pine’s house. After a few minutes, Bud was standing at the front gates. Hesitantly, he rang the doorbell. After a moment, the gates swung open, and beckoned him in. He crossed the front lawn in a few strides, and raised his hand to knock on the door. Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a blue haired teenager standing there. It looked like he had hastily dressed himself in a dress shirt and pajama pants. The kid must have been asleep or something when Bud had rung the doorbell. “What can I do for you, sir?” The kid said with a bow. His voice was barely above a whisper. “Huh? Wassat? Speak up, you blue haired freak.” The kid simply nodded at the insult. “How can I be of assistance?” Bud could hear him now, but his voice was still incredibly soft. “I got somethin’ for that Dipper kid.” “I can bring it into him.” “Nah, he needs to know who gave it to him.” “Master Dipper is in bed. I can tell him it came from you, Mr...” “Bud Pines.” He extended his hand awkwardly, and the kid shook it gently. “What’s your name?” “William Cipher, sir.” William glanced over Bud’s shoulder. “Where is this gift for Master Dipper?” Bud reached into his jacket, and Will flinched. He pulled out the two journals he had taken from Gideon. “Here. These are the books he’s been looking for, right?” Will paled, and slowly nodded. “Make sure he knows who gave them to him, got it?” “Y-yes sir” Slowly, Will reached out to take the journals with shaking hands. He stared at them for a moment before Bud cleared his throat. “You ok, son?” The kid’s head snapped up. “Oh, um, yes sir. Will that be all?” “Yeah.” Bud turned to leave. “Good night,” Will said, his voice once again a whisper. Bud marched out the gate and back towards home. The alcohol from earlier was starting too set in, and he decided it was time for bed.

Will closed the door, and sank to the ground. He had been so happy when the Pines kid had gotten the journals. He knew it wasn’t right, since it had made Dipper so angry, but he was glad Dipper wouldn’t be able to get his hands on all three journals. He had been so relieved the power in them had fallen into the hands of someone like Gideon. He knew in his heart that Dipper was only doing what he thought was right, but Gideon had never failed to protect the people he cared about. Will hoped that he would be able to do that for Dipper one day. He knew he should start by giving Dipper the journals. But he couldn’t seem to find the courage to do it. He knew he would have to give them to him, since helping him was part of the deal they had made, but he would be protecting Dipper if he didn’t give him the journals. Of course, now that they were together, he knew he should give Dipper anything he wanted. It was his job as Dipper’s boyfriend. But he also had to keep Dipper safe. He couldn’t risk Dipper getting his hands on the journals. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and looked for a place where he could hide the journals. After looking around for a few moments, he found one of the floorboards in the stairs was loose. He pried it up, and saw that there was a space just large enough for the two books. He slipped the books into the crevice, and replaced the floorboards. He heard footsteps on the balcony above him, and stood up quickly. It was Dipper. He had on a pajama top and his usual sacks, and his hair was a tangled mess, as if he had just gotten out of bed. “Who was at the door?” “It was um...just some guy.” “Really? What did he want?” “I don’t know. He didn’t seem in his right mind.” “Oh. Sorry you had to get dragged out of bed for that.” “It’s fine. I really don’t mind.” “Well, why don’t we get some sleep. It’s late.” Will nodded, and climbed up to the balcony. He let Dipper lead him down the hall, the journals forgotten.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper needs to get the journals back from Gideon, but has no idea how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday. I got completly sidetracked. I have to thank my wonderful friend Kai for helping me edit. They're seriously awesome.

Dipper poured over the notes in his study. He was still angry about when Will had lost control of his abilities, and Gideon had managed to steal the journals. He had of course taken extensive notes on the books, and even copied a few pages, but the loss of the journals had still been extremely crippling. He no longer had access to the power he usually had, and it was straining his nerves. He hated not being in control. He knew he could go after Gideon, but the kid was smart. He had probably hidden the journals somewhere. Dipper simply needed a way to insure that Gideon would have the journals on him. He wondered if Will could help him, but he didn’t want to risk it. There was no way of knowing if the magic was traceable, or if there was a way to stop it. Now that the brat had Journal two, he also had all the information on Will. Luckily, Will couldn’t make a deal with them, but it still wasn’t worth the risk. Will would be a useful bargaining chip, and he didn’t want to remind Gideon that such a chip existed. He heard the clacking of heels outside his door, and figured Mabel was probably walking by. The door cracked open, and he smelled tea. He glanced up to see his sister standing in the doorway. “What do you want?” “I just wanted to check on you.” She set the teacup on the desk next to him and perched on the corner. “Is everything alright? You’ve been in here all day.” “Really? What time is it?” He glanced at the clock, and saw that it was nearly three in the afternoon. He rubbed his eyes. He really had been in the study all day. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just trying to find a way to get the journals back.” She groaned and rolled her eyes theatrically. “Not that again. You need to come out. Talk to people. I think Will’s kind of worried about you.” Dipper glanced up. “He is?” “Aw, you’re so cute when you get all worried about Will.” Dipper blushed. “I am not worried about Will. I simply want to make sure he’s not concerned about me. It could be a liability in the field.” Mabel smirked. “Whatever you say, brother dear.” He sighed. “Thank you for checking on me.” “Of course. Are you planning on coming down for dinner at all?” “Maybe. I’ll try not to get side tracked.” “Well at least drink your tea. Poor Will insisted he make it for you. Seriously, you might want to go talk to him.” Dipper sighed again. “Yeah, I’ll make sure I talk to him.” Mabel put a hand on his back. “All this stress can’t be good for you. Take a break. Go for a walk or something.” “Mmm-hmm, sure.” He turned his attention back to what he had been working on. He heard Mabel sigh and walk off. She gently closed the door behind her, and Dipper once again began to generate various plans for how he could retrieve the journals.

About two hours later, he glanced up at the clock, and noticed it was about dinner time. With a start, he realized how hungry he was. Other than some light toast at breakfast, he hadn’t eaten all day. With a sigh, he stood up and slipped on his cape. He opened the door and went down to the dining room. It wasn’t the formal one where they usually ate when they had guests, but rather the smaller family one. It was where he and Mabel usually had their meals, the emptiness of the formal dining room making them uncomfortable. When he got there, Mabel was already sitting at the table, a salad bowl in front of her. “Look who finally got his nose out of his books!” Dipper rolled his eyes and sat across from her. The kitchen door swung open, and Will came in carrying a tea set. He set it down on the table. “Oh, Dipper, you came out of your study. Is there anything I can get you?” Dipper smiled up at him. “No, I’m alright.” “Are you sure? It’s just, you were working all day, and you’re probably really stressed and-” Dipper took his hand, and Will flinched. “I’m fine, Will. You are cute when you’re flustered though.” His face flushed bright red, and he did his best to hide a giggle. “I-I, um, have to go check on the oven.” He quickly left the room, but Dipper could see his smile. “Careful,” Mabel said. “Someone might think you actually like him.” He glared at her across the table. She rolled her eyes, and didn’t push it, though she didn’t try to hide her smirk. She picked at her salad. “So, have you figured out how to get the journals back yet?” Dipper dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his temples. “Still no solution, then?” “No! I know we could take them back really easily, but Gideon might have hidden them.” “So, we make them tell us where it is.” “I thought about that, but with the power in both of the journals, we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do that.” “Ah, I see the problem.” “We could also see if Will could track down the journals, but since Journal Two has a bunch of information about him, we don’t know if they would have any kind of magical defenses.” “Yes, I suppose that would be a problem.” He glared at her. “Do you have a solution?” “Well, your idea with Will is a good one. So how about this. “We can go after them no matter what.” “And if they don’t have the Journals?” “Then we knock them out and have Will track them down.” Dipper considered the idea, and a slow grin spread across his face. “Yes, I suppose that could work. Looks like you’re not completely useless after all. The only problem is we don’t know if Will would be able to track down the journals.” “I-I can track down the journals,” Will’s voice said from the corner. Dipper hadn’t even noticed he had come back into the room. “You can actually do that? Even if they put a spell on it or something?” Will nodded, and Dipper realized that his face was noticeably paler than it had been before. “Are you alright, Will?” He jumped. “W-what? Yeah, of course. I’m fine.” Dipper raised his eyebrow, but decided not to press the issue. “Wonderful,” Mabel said. “So, when do we attack?” “Tomorrow would be best. They would still have a sense of security from a successful heist. They’ll also have had less time to hide it.” He glanced around the room. “Good, we’re all agreed then. Tomorrow we’ll move on Gideon and that brat girlfriend of his.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper attempts to get the journals back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to the amazing Kai for helping me edit!

Gideon sat at the table, trying to come up with a plan to retrieve the journals. His father was still furious with him after he had found out about his and Mabel’s break up, so he and Pacifica had decided it was best if she avoided him for a few days. Coming up with a plan was harder than he expected. Normally, he would just consult the journals, and find some kind of solution, but he was lost without them. He had of course done his best to make copies of the pages, but he still felt as if something was missing without the journals. He wondered how long it would be before Dipper inevitably tried to take his revenge. He took a deep breath. Worrying about the what-ifs would only stress him out more. Suddenly, he heard the sound of metal softly scraping against leather. He jumped, and turned to look at the staircase. Leaning against the railing was Dipper, knife in hand. Gideon leapt to his feet, knocking the chair over in the process. “How did you get in here?!” “That doesn’t matter. Where are the journals, Gideon?” He blinked. “Don’t you-” His eyes widened as he realized that something must have gone wrong last night. If Dipper didn’t have the journals, he certainly wasn’t going to let him know he didn’t have them either. “I’m not gonna tell you!” “Oh, Gideon, don’t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be.” “You’ll never get them!” “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You see, as we speak, my sister is waiting outside Pacifica’s house. I say the word, and your little girlfriend will be dead in minutes.” Gideon started to panic for a moment, before he noticed Dipper’s eyes darting to the stairs behind him. He guessed Mabel was actually upstairs searching his room right now. “You’re a good liar, but she’s clearly upstairs.” Dipper snorted. “See, the thing is, I wasn’t really trying to lie.” Something flew out from behind Gideon, and tackled him to the ground. He struck out blindly, but felt his arm pulled behind his back. Someone ground their knee into his spine, and pressed a knife against the back of his neck. Dipper walked over and knelt down in front of Gideon. “Now, I don’t want things to get nasty, so I’ll give you one chance to tell me. Where are the journals?” Gideon gritted his teeth. “You will never get your hands on them.” Dipper sighed. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” He nodded to someone on the stairs, and Gideon heard a voice begin to chant softly. He recognized the voice. “Will?” The chanting stopped for a moment, and Gideon knew he'd gotten it right. Dipper shot a sharp glare in Will’s direction, and the chanting continued. “Will, you don’t have to do this. Whatever they’ve got on you, Pacifica and I can help.” Dipper snorted, and looked down at Gideon. “See, I don’t think you get it. Will wants to do this.” The chanting continued, and the room began to glow faintly. From down the hall, Gideon heard shuffling footsteps. Everyone froze, and Gideon turned his head to see his father’s shoes standing in the doorway. “What’s going on in here?” “Nothing!” Gideon yelped. He couldn’t risk his father letting it slip that Gideon didn’t have the journals. “You see,” Dipper said, “Gideon here has something we want.” “What else do you want? I already gave you those stupid books.” Gideon cursed under his breath. “I thought you said Gideon still had the books,” Mabel said. Dipper glared at Gideon. “What did you do with the journals?” “I already told you,” Bud said, “I gave them to you. Your little servant over there told me he’d give them to you.” Dipper’s grip tightened on his knife. “Well, I never got them.” “Well, that ain’t my fault. Talk to the blue haired freak over there.”

Slowly, Dipper stood up and turned towards the dream demon. “What is he talking about, Will?” Will’s hands were shaking, and his face was almost completely devoid of color. “I-I’m sorry.” “Will, what is he talking about?” Dipper growled, his voice low. “I-I thought I was doing the right thing. I was trying to protect you. I’m sorry!” “Trying to protect me from what?” “There-there are forces in the journals that you shouldn’t mess with. I-I care about you. I just want to keep you safe.” “Will, what did you do?” “I’m sorry! I thought I was doing the right thing!” “What did you do?” “I-I hid the journals.” Dipper took a second to process the information. He whirled around, and slammed his knife into the wall beside him. It sunk in till only the hilt was visible. “So you lied to me.” “I thought it was the right thing!” “I trusted you, Will. You know how much the journals mean to me. And you kept them from me.” “I did it because I love you!” “If you actually loved me, you would have given me the journals. You betrayed me, Will.” “I’m sorry! Please, let me make it up to you!” “I’m just not sure I can trust you anymore.” “You can! I promise!” “Show me where you hid the journals.” Will nodded, and hung his head. “They’re back at the mansion.” Dipper sighed and motioned for Mabel to let Gideon up. “Looks like today's your lucky day,” he said to Gideon. He turned to Will. “Show me where they are.” Will nodded, and shuffled out the door dejectedly.

When they got back to the mansion, Will climbed halfway up the stairs, and pried a loose floorboard off. He reached into the cavity, and pulled out Journals Two and Three. He handed them to Dipper, and couldn’t meet his eyes. “I really am sorry.” “It’s alright, Will. You did the right thing in the end. You gave me what I wanted.” Will nodded, and with a sigh, Dipper put his hand on Will’s shoulder. He flinched at the touch. “Y-you’re not still mad at me are you?” “Of course not. You fixed your mistake. How could I ever stay mad at you?” Dipper flashed him a smile, before turning to go put the journals in his room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon attempts to get the journal back.

Gideon pulled on his hat. He had packed his bag with the essentials he would need. He was going to get those journals back. His phone buzzed with a call from Pacifcia. He declined. She would never let him do this. And even if she agreed, she would insist on coming with him. He had made this a mess; he had to be the one to fix it. He slipped out the window, and jumped silently to the ground. He pulled the bag over his shoulders, and headed for the Gleeful mansion. A few minutes later he stood facing the fence. He was hidden in a copse of trees, and was looking for a way into the mansion itself. Scaling the fence would be easy. It would be breaking into the mansion without anyone seeing him that would be the hard part. He scanned the windows, trying to see if any of them were open. His eyes fell on a basement level window, and he figured that would be his best bet.

He climbed over the fence, and dashed across the lawn, doing his best to keep low and out of sight. He stopped beside the open window, listening to see if anyone was in the room. A faint humming came from inside, and cautiously, Gideon looked to see who it was. It was just Will. Gideon sighed in relief, and Will glanced up at the window. Gideon ducked out of sight. After a minute, the humming faded, and Gideon heard Will walking up the stairs. He slipped in through the windows, and paused at the base of the stairwell, making sure Will wouldn’t come back down. He had no idea where to even start looking for the journal, but he figured Dipper’s room would be his best option. The only problem was that he had no idea where Dipper’s room was.   
He crept up the stairs, praying he didn’t step on a creaky floorboard. He figured the bedrooms would be on the second floor, but that was a lot of distance to cover without being seen. He paused just behind the door, and listened for footsteps. After a minute, he opened the door a crack and peered out. The stairwell opened into the entry room of the mansion. Gideon sighed in relief. The good news was that he knew his way around the room, but there was almost nowhere to hide. He would be completely exposed while getting up to the balcony. He didn’t see any other solution though. He would have to risk it. He took a deep breath, and sprinted across the room, keeping his footsteps as quiet as he could. He managed to make it to the second floor before he heard voices. 

He froze in place, and looked for somewhere to hide. His eyes fell on a potted plant pushed up against the railing of the balcony, and he ducked behind it. Just as he got into place, he heard a door open below him. His breath caught, as Mabel’s voice floated up towards him. “And next time, make sure you do it right!” She shouted. “Yes ma’am,” Will whispered, following behind. Gideon realized that he had hidden in such a way that someone could still see him through the railing. “Don’t look up. Don’t look up,” he prayed, hoping Will and Mabel didn’t notice him. After a minute, he heard Will go back down to the basement, but Mabel climbed the stairs to the balcony. He shrank down, trying his best not to be seen, and gripped the base of the planter, ready to run. She walked past him though, and it took a minute before he was able to breath. Slowly, he peered over the edge of the planter, and when he saw that the hallway was empty, he continued his search.

He went in the same direction Mabel had gone, figuring she was going to see her brother. It wasn’t the safest plan, but he decided he was more likely to find the journal that way. Dipper would probably keep the journal close to him since it had already been stolen once. Gideon kept his eyes open, but he didn’t like how few places there were to hide. He heard soft voices up ahead, and saw that the next door up was painted with blue flowers. It must have been Mabel’s room. Suddenly, she screamed, “Dipper! Get in here right now!” Gideon flinched, and looked for somewhere to hide. He saw that a door was slightly ajar, and he ducked into the room, praying it was empty. He heard footsteps just outside the door and the other twin grumbling. The footsteps passed after a minute, and Gideon crept out, back into the hallway. He could hear Dipper and Mabel shouting at each other from her room.

The door next to her room was open now. Gideon assumed it must be Dipper’s room. The shouting from Mabel’s room got louder. Whatever she was upset about must have been really bad. Gideon tiptoed into Dipper’s room. He scanned the room, looking for anywhere Dipper might have hidden the journals. There was a stack of books on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. Gideon pulled a cape off the stack. Dipper must not have worn the cape when he was at home. Gideon glanced at the spines of the books, but the journal wasn’t one of them. He glanced over at the desk, and saw there was a safe. That was probably where the journal was hidden. He reached into his bag, and pulled out a stethoscope. He placed it against the metal, next to the lock, and twisted, listening for the tumblers. He had seen the technique in a movie once, and he hoped it would work. After a minute, he had managed to open the door to the safe, and he swung it open. 

The shouting in the next room had only gotten louder, and Gideon flinched at the noise of shattering ceramic. “At least I can let go of the past! You don’t see me opening up old wounds!” Mabel screamed. “At least I’m not a murderer!” Dipper screamed back at her. The room went silent. “That’s not fair. I did what I had to.” Mabel said. “You didn’t have to kill the last guy.” “Yes I did!” “No, you didn’t! And you definitely didn’t have to kill Mom and Dad!” There was another pause. By now, Gideon had forgotten about his mission. “I was making sure they could never hurt us again!” “And we nearly ended up homeless because of you!” “At least I’m not a coward!” There was yet another pause, and Gideon could practically feel Dipper’s anger seeping through the walls. “Dipper I-I’m-” “Save it.” Gideon heard footsteps, and with a start, realized Dipper was going back to his room. He slipped the journal out of the safe, and ran for the window. Just as he had gotten it open, he heard a voice from behind him. “What the hell are you doing in my house?” He turned to find Dipper standing in the doorway, his shirt torn, and a shard of broken glass caught in his hair. “Um, you-” Gideon pointed at the shard of glass, and Dipper pulled it out. “Oh, thank you. Now, answer my question. Why are you in my house?” “Um, I wanted to say hi?” Gideon asked. Dipper raised his eyebrows, and glanced at the desk. He noticed the safe was open. Then he noticed the journal in Gideon’s hands.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon has been caught breaking into the Gleeful mansion. How will he get out of this situation?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was once again edited by my beta reader Kai. It would not have been half as good as it is without their wonderful input. They are a godsend. Seriously, I can't thank you enough.

“I knew you were a thief.” Dipper said. Gideon cursed silently. His eyes darted around, looking for a way out of the room. His gaze fell on the open window. He just needed to keep Dipper distracted long enough to get to it. “What were you and Mabel fighting about?” “Distracting me won’t work.” Dipper took a step forward, and Gideon flinched, dropping the journal. It opened to a page with a drawing of a decrepit old shack. It was labeled simply “Home.” The building looked oddly familiar, but Gideon couldn’t place it. Maybe it was something he and Pacifica had run across on one of their adventures. He saw Dipper was looking at the page too. The teen seemed much more deeply disturbed than Gideon had expected. Gideon took advantage of his distraction and scooped the journal up. He leapt for the window, and crashed through the glass before Dipper stopped him. He froze in midair, the journal clutched tightly in his arms. Dipper leaned casually out the window, his hand held out. He snorted. “Where do you think you’re going?” He shook his head amusedly, and with a flick of his wrist, sent Gideon flying across the lawn.

He tumbled to the ground, bouncing along the gravel path. He sat up, nursing the various cuts and scratches he had gotten from his fall. The sky above him began to glow, and he looked up to see Dipper floating above the ground, haloed by blue light. His eyes were glowing blue, and a strong wind shook the trees, nearly knocking Gideon over. He struggled to his feet, the journal tucked safely inside his vest. He shielded his face as the wind intensified, and Dipper set down gently on the grass. He stood, back rigid, arms held out like a god waiting to be worshipped. The wind continued, and pushed Gideon back a couple inches. “Did you really think you could get away with this Gideon? You’re pathetic.” Gideon looked around for Will, wondering where he was getting the insane power from, but the blue haired teenager was nowhere in sight. Gideon turned, and saw the gate was only a few feet away. He turned and ran.

Just as he was about to open the gate, he felt himself lifting off the ground. He scrambled around in zero gravity, before he was yanked around to face Dipper. He struggled against the invisible bonds, but they held tight. “I don’t usually like to get my hands dirty, but I think I’ll make an exception for you, Gideon. And you know, I think I’ll take my time with this. Might as well enjoy it.” He flicked his wrist, and Gideon slammed into the ground, with enough force to leave a large dent in the lawn. He groaned, and tried to get up, but he still couldn’t move. Dipper made another motion, and Gideon rose off the ground once more. Dipper thrust out his hand, and flung Gideon into a tree. He slid down the trunk, dazed, and his vest caught on a tree branch. It fell off, and Gideon was dumped to the ground. Slowly, he got to his feet. “Ah, defeated already?” Dipper said. “That’s too bad. I guess I’ll hurry this up then.” He gestured with his hand and forced Gideon to his knees. He closed his fist, and the pressure tightened around Gideon. He gasped for air, and felt his ribs beginning to crack. “Oh, don’t tell me this is too much for you to handle. I thought you were better than that. How else would you have been able to match me every step of the way?”

Gideon couldn’t breathe. His vision swam in and out, and it began to turn black around the edges. “You know, I actually respect you. It’s pretty hard to consistently be a thorn in my side, but somehow, you manage to annoy the crap out of me. But that’s what makes this all the more fun. I knew you were pathetic, but this is just sad. Come on, aren’t even going to put up a little bit of a fight.” Gideon was barely even conscious. “Don’t tell me cat’s got your tongue.” The front door opened, and Gideon saw Will poke his head out. “Dipper?” Dipper whirled around, Gideon completely forgotten. “Will! I didn’t realize you saw any of that!” Dipper sounded genuinely ashamed. “Dipper, what are you doing?” “I’m taking care of a nuisance. It’s nothing you need to worry about.” In his surprise, Dipper had lost his grip on Gideon. While the magician was distracted, he managed to crawl away. His ribs were definitely broken, and he had about a thousand bruises, but he was still alive. He managed to open the gate, and crawl off into the woods.

Mabel poked her head outside, to see Will and Dipper talking. “What’s going on? I heard yelling.” “Oh, so now you care about me,” Dipper said. Mabel scoffed. “No. I was worried about Will. The guy’s so pathetic he couldn’t do anything to protect himself.” Will looked like a kicked puppy, but the twins ignored it. Dipper turned his attention back to Gideon, only to find that he had disappeared. Dipper slammed his fist into a tree. “You seem crankier than usual, brother,” Mabel said. “What happened out here?” He took in a deep breath, and tried to regain his composure. He reached up to Gideon’s discarded vest, and pulled out Journal Three. “...I know where the first journal is.” “Excellent. Why are you so angry then? I would have thought you’d be excited.” “It’s at the Mystery Shack.” Mabel covered her mouth. There was no way. She refused to believe it. “Stan was the author of the journals.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here. Have some breathing room.

Gideon had managed to get to his feet. He stumbled through the forest, tripping over stray roots, and running into trees. He had no idea where he was going, but after ten minutes or so, he found himself at Pacifica’s back door. He raised his fist to knock, but the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was a tall man, with dark brown hair and a regal expression. He had on a dress shirt, slacks, and shoes, and looked like he was quickly reaching the end of his patience. “No solicitors.” He glanced down at Gideon, and noticed his disheveled state. “Son, are you alright?” Gideon shook his head. “Is Pacifica home?” “Y-yes. Are you a friend of hers?” Gideon nodded. “Come in, come in.” Gideon stepped into the kitchen, and the man called up the stairs, “Pacifica, darling, someone’s here too see you!” He turned his attention back to Gideon. “Where is that first aid kit?” He riffled through the cabinets, and after a minute pulled out the small white box.

Pacifica came down the stairs and saw Gideon. She ran to his side and said, “Oh, God. Gideon, what happened?” “I’m fine,” he said, flashing her a smile. “Don’t worry about it.” “Wow, you are an awful liar. Gideon, what happened?” He tapped his foot nervously. “I kinda, maybe, got into a fight with Dipper.” He could tell she was trying her best not to smack him. “A fight with Dipper?!” she yelled. “What were you thinking? He could’ve killed you!” Suddenly her eyes widened. “What’s wrong?” Gideon said, hoping he didn’t have anything in his teeth. The last thing he needed was to have something stupid like that messing up his conversation with Pacifica. “Your vest. It’s missing.” Gideon patted himself down, and realized she was right. “I must have lost it during the fight.” He cursed under his breath. “The journal was in there.” They realized it at the same time. “Dipper has the journal.”

Pacifica’s father cleared his throat. “May I ask how you two know each other?” Pacifica fiddled with her hair uncomfortably. “Dad, Gideon is my...my boyfriend.” “I see. Hold still. This is probably going to hurt.” He started cleaning Gideon’s various cuts, and he tried his best not to flinch. “Gideon, we need to get the journal back. Who knows what those psychopaths will do with them.” Gideon growled in frustration. “I know. But I tried to get them back, and this is what happened.” He gestured to his various cuts and bruises, and winced as his ribs protested. “Wait, what do you mean you tried to get them back?” He chuckled sheepishly. “I...might’ve...kinda broken into their mansion.” Pacifica smacked his arm. “What were you thinking?! Why didn’t you at least tell me? I could’ve helped you!” “I couldn’t let you risk your life like that.” “What do you mean my daughter would be risking her life?” Pacifica’s father asked.

Gideon shifted uncomfortably. “So, Dipper kinda wants me dead, and anyone who’s with me would be at risk.” “I see. I think we ought to call your parents. Let them know that you're safe.” Gideon shook his head. “There's no time. Besides, my dad won’t care.” He turned to Pacifica. “I think I know where the first journal is.” “Where is it?” “While Dipper and I were fighting, the journal opened up to a page with a drawing of the author’s home on it. It was this old shack thing. It looked really familiar.” “I do remember coming across an old shack on one of our adventures. It had some weird sign. I think it was called the ‘Mystery Shack?’” Gideon nodded. “I remember now. That was the one.” “Are you kids sure you want to go there?” Pacifica’s father asked. “Most people think that place is haunted. Some guy got murdered there, about three years ago.” The two teenagers shared a look. “Can’t be worse than Dipper,” Pacifica said. “Besides, we’ve dealt with ghosts before. It’ll be no big deal.” Gideon stood up, and Pacifica pushed her chair back.

“Wait,” Pacifica’s father said. “At least stay the night. Get some sleep. It’s late.” Pacifica shook her head. “There's no time, Dad. The Gleefuls already have two journals. We have to beat them to this one.” “Why though? Why is this so important to you kids?” “The twins are insane, Mr. Southeast. If they get their hands on all three journals, they will level the town without a second thought,” Gideon said. “Well at least let me come with you. Someone should be there to protect you kids.” Pacifica kissed him on the forehead. “Aw, dad, that’s so sweet. But you’ve never dealt with magic before. I can’t be worried about you if we get into a fight. You just have to trust me on this one. I’ll be fine. I promise.” He took a deep breath and nodded. “I trust you. Just come back to me. Please.” Pacifica nodded. “I promise.” She opened the door, and marched out into the woods. “Don’t worry,” Gideon said. “I’ll look after her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry my posting has slowed down. School has started back up for me, and I was also waiting for a chance to go over the next chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um...How to describe this...Trigger warnings galore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Abuse, Guns, Heavily implied alcoholism, Trust me, Stan is evil. Please, please proceed with caution if any of this triggers you.

They had spent so many summers in the decrepit old shack, but despite that, it had never felt like home. Ignoring their protests, their parents had sent them up to the small town every summer since they were five. Their great uncle Stan was the cruelest man they had ever met. He didn’t care about them at all, and if he did see them in danger he was just as likely to help their attacker than to help them. But he had never let them die. He had made it very clear that was going to be his honor. As the twins crossed over the threshold, Mabel remembered what it had been like to live in constant fear. She remembered what it had been like to creep up the stairs as silently as possible when Stan was asleep so she didn’t wake him up. She remembered how angry he got when she did wake him up. Mostly, she remembered the bruises she had gotten so good at hiding. Her parents had never believed her when they had come home after the summer. She drifted through the shack in a daze, memory after memory swirling through her head. She wandered through the store at the front of the house.

Stan had been a professional con man, and had set up a rickety old tourist stop at the front of the house. The merchandise on the shelves was untouched. She reached for a hat. It looked so similar to the hats they sold at the Tent. She had designed almost all of the merchandise off of what her great uncle had sold. It had infuriated Dipper, but she had felt the need to reclaim this part of her past. With a sigh, she put the hat down. She had needed to reclaim her past, but she wanted nothing to do with the Shack. She wandered through the back room and into the kitchen. She recalled what it had been like to experiment with making stuff in here. She had loved making arts and crafts stuff when she had been younger. But she had quickly learned not to do it in the house. No matter how clean she kept her work surface, Stan had never liked the mess she made. She had stopped her arts and crafts hobby long ago. She turned away. Not looking where she was going, she bumped into someone. Without thinking, she drew her knife and pressed it against their throat. “Mabel, it’s just me,” Dipper said. Slowly she let the knife drop. “Sorry. I thought you were...” “I know.” He gently put his arm around her shoulders, surprising her. Dipper never showed physical affection. Being back in the house must have really shaken him. She noticed his gaze lingering over the doorway. “What are you thinking about?” His eyes traveled across the room, stopping to rest in the center of the room, over the broken coffee table. “This is where it happened.” Mabel didn’t need to ask him what he was talking about. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.   
She had been playing out in the yard when she heard shouting and crashing from inside. She had dismissed it at first, thinking Stan had just stumbled over something drunkenly. The swearing got louder and more insistent, but Mabel ignored it. There was another crash, and Dipper cried out. She dropped what she was doing and threw open the door. Dipper was on the floor, holding his arm like he had just broken it. Stan was standing over him, hand balled into a fist. He raised his hand, and Dipper tried to cover his face. Stan hit Dipper across the face, and Dipper tried desperately to crawl away. Stan grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back. “I’m not done with you yet!” he slurred drunkenly. Dipper did his best to block the onslaught, but it was useless.

Mabel stood numbly in the doorway. Stan hit him again, and this time, Dipper started bleeding. Mabel snapped out of her trance. She leapt in front of Dipper and spread her arms out in an attempt to protect him. “Leave him alone!” Stan punched her and shoved her to the ground. “Shut up, you ungrateful brat! I’ll do whatever I want to your wimp of a brother!” Mabel’s distraction had given Dipper enough time to crawl to the door. He had almost managed to sneak into the other room when Stan spotted him. “I didn’t say you could go yet! Get back here!” Stan grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back into the living room. He threw Dipper across the coffee table, and it broke underneath his weight. “Look at that! You broke my table!” “I’m sorry.” Dipper whispered softly. “What did I tell you?! Be polite and call me sir!” Stan pulled back and punched him. Then he turned to Mabel. “As for you, you really need to learn when to stay put. If I’m dealing with your brother, you don’t get involved, understand me?” Before Mabel could react, he pulled her head up by the hair and leaned in close to her face. “Understand?” he leered. She nodded and he dropped her. “Shoulda gotten rid of you kids long ago.”

He stumbled off, and Mabel moved to her brother’s side. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, and there were the beginnings of a black eye. She helped him sit up and said, “Where does it hurt?” She examined his forearm. He winced, but quickly hid it. “I’m fine Mabel. Don’t worry about me.” She raised her eyebrows, and prodded at his arm some more. “Seriously, I am. Why did you try to stop him?” “You’re my brother. It’s my job to protect you.” He offered her a glimmer of a smile before he said, “I don’t need you to protect me. I just need you to stay safe. Please. Don’t ever do anything that stupid again.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s ok.” Mabel helped him to his feet and they turned to trudge up the stairs. As she put her foot on the first step, she heard Stan from behind them. “Where are you kids goin’? I didn’t say you could leave.” “We’re just going upstairs, sir.” Dipper said without turning to look back. He continued to walk up the stairs until Stan said, “No, you’re not.” Mabel turned to look at him as he raised his arm. There was a gun in his hand. She hit Dipper’s arm and he turned around. He flinched when he saw the gun and raised his hands in surrender. “Ok, we’ll stay down here. Just put it down. There's no need to do something you’re gonna regret.” “You tryin’ to tell me what to do?” “No sir. Do whatever you want.” “I’ve had enough of your mockin’ me, kid.” He pulled the trigger, and the twins hit the deck.

His aim was off, probably because he was drunk, and he had shot closer to the ceiling than he had to the Gleefuls. Mabel cautiously lifted her head up, and saw that Stan was breathing hard. She looked over towards Dipper to make sure he was ok. He leapt up and lunged towards Stan. He knocked him off balance, and the gun went off again. Mabel shrieked and ran to her brother’s side. He had his hand pressed to his upper arm, and it was soaked red. More blood was still coming. He swallowed hard and offered her a weak smile. “It’s ok. It barely even hurts. It just grazed me. Don’t worry.” She didn’t believe him. She pried his fingers off and got a look at the wound. It looked like the bullet had actually just grazed him, but he was clearly in a lot of pain. Mabel hadn’t even realized she had been crying until a teardrop landed on Dipper’s arm. “You’re gonna be ok. I’m gonna get you help. You’ll be fine.” Dipper nodded before his eyes widened at the sight of something over her shoulder. “Mabel, get down!” He half tackled her as Stan fired off another shot. He scrambled up and managed to tackle their great uncle. The gun skidded across the floor and hit the wall at the opposite end of the room. Stan and Dipper traded blows while Mabel sat there, terrified and unsure of what to do. “Mabel, get out of here!” Dipper yelled, snapping her out of her trance. She started to run towards the door before she spotted the gun. She knew what to do. She dove for it and her hands closed around it. “Dipper, move!” He looked up and rolled out of the way when he saw what was in her hands. She aimed, closed her eyes, pulled the trigger, and emptied the round. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw that every one of her shots had hit the mark. Stan was dead.   
She liked the way he looked, broken and vulnerable. She enjoyed the look of shock and pain on his face. It was about time he felt it for himself. She had enjoyed pulling the trigger. But she had loved the feeling of holding a knife in her hands even more when she had killed her parents. They had never been there for her when she’d told them about what Stan had done. So she had cut them out of her life permanently. Now, they would never be there for anyone.

She was snapped out of her memories by the sound of Will softly clearing his throat. She glanced over at Dipper, who was rubbing at where the scar from the bullet wound was. His head snapped up when he heard Will’s voice. The twin’s eyes met, and Mabel watched as he shoved his memories down and his face returned to the emotionless mask he always wore. He pulled out Journal Two, and hid his face in it. Even though she couldn’t see his face, Mabel knew exactly what he was muttering to himself. “Anchor yourself. Stay in control. The world is at your mercy.” After a moment, he turned back to the demon. “What did you find, Will?” “I-I think I know where the first journal is. Dipper, are you alright?” “Yes, of course I am. I’m right on the cusp of victory.” “Are you sure?” “Of course I’m sure.” Will decided not to press the issue. Gently, he reached for Dipper’s hand, but Dipper crossed his arms in front of him. “Where’s the journal?”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper finds Journal One, and we learn a little more about Gideon and Pacifica.

Will led them up the stairs and into a bedroom that had long been abandoned. Dipper recognized it instantly. It was Stan’s room. “It’s in here,” he said. “How do you know?” Mabel asked. “If Stan had the journal, I know where he would have kept it.” Dipper moved to the painting above the bed and pulled it off the wall. The light of his amulet gently reflected off the door of the safe. It was such a cliche, but apparently a very useful one, as it hadn’t been touched since the house had been emptied of residents. He entered the code and opened the door. “How do you know the code?” Mabel whispered. “I figured it out. What do you think he was so mad about that day?”

Dipper brushed some papers out of the safe, and his fingers closed around a thick book, much like the two he had already found. He pulled the journal out and smiled triumphantly. He had found all of them. No one would ever be able to say he wasn’t the smartest person in the room. No one would ever be able to laugh at him again. With the power in these books, he would never be vulnerable again. He noticed Mabel staring out the window. “What is it, sister?” “My sweet Gideon is here.” Dipper smiled. Not even the brats could spoil this victory for him. “Why don’t you go greet them. Have some fun, you’ve earned it.” Her face lit up with an insane grin and she ran out the door.

Dipper grabbed Journals Two and Three and flipped to the pages with the random lines and circles. He opened to the middle of Journal One to find the same pattern. The three images fit together perfectly. It was a diagram. Will flinched. “You do recognize this, don’t you?” Will swallowed and refused to meet his gaze. Dipper stood up and grabbed Will’s wrist. He lifted the demon’s head to meet his gaze. The look in Will’s eye one of absolute terror. “Do you recognize this diagram?” Slowly Will nodded. “So you lied to me.” Will’s gaze dropped back to the floor. “Why did you lie to me?” “Please, you have to promise me you're not going to open that portal.” Will’s voice was barely even a whisper. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” Slowly Dipper’s gaze softened, and he took Will’s hand. “I won’t open it. I promise. I just want to study it.” Gently he kissed Will on the nose. “But you do know where the portal is, don’t you?” Again, Will nodded slowly. “Why don’t you show me where it is?”

Pacifica knew this path by heart. They trampled through the woods, doing their best not to stumble. The last time she had been down this way, there had still been some daylight left. Now, it was pitch black. The trees loomed closer over them, and against the darkened sky, they looked like crooked teeth, like the forest was some monstrous beast waiting to snap them up. The effect was unnerving, especially since she couldn’t shake the lingering fear that something big was going to happen once they got to the Mystery Shack. Gideon swept his flashlight beam across the treeline, looking for any threats. His fingers twitched idly, and he even reached for his missing journal a couple times. He hadn’t taken the recent blows very well. Pacifica just hoped they would be able to stop the Gleefuls before things got worse. The ground turned to loose soil around her feet, and suddenly she was slipping. Gideon caught her hand and she scrambled back up the slope. “Thanks.” “No problem.” He played the flashlight beam across the ground, and illuminated the slope where she had slipped. It was the ravine where she had first met Gideon. Her mind flashed back to that day.

Gideon scanned the worn pages, looking for any sign he was on the right path. He had found a trailhead near the backdoor of his house and, when he opened the journal, saw that it had been documented. He figured it probably led somewhere important. Unfortunately, he had managed to get himself completely turned around. He had wandered off of the path, thinking he had seen a manticore, but he hadn’t found anything. Now he was in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how to get back to town. There was nothing in the journal about where he was, and like an idiot, he had left his phone at home. He trekked deeper into the woods, the trees slowly getting bigger around him. “I don’t think I’m going the right way,” he muttered under his breath. He glanced up at the treetops, and debated climbing one to get a better vantage point. Suddenly, the ground gave way under him and he lost his balance.

He scrambled to get a purchase on the steep slope. Something grabbed him by the back of his jacket. He stopped, suspended in midair, before he was pulled back to flat ground. “Thanks,” he said, turning to face his rescuer. She had long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, and a letterman jacket that was just slightly too big for her. “You’re welcome,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “Man, you are really heavy.” “Really? I always thought I was kind of scrawny.” “Yeah, well, I was also fighting gravity. You really should watch where you’re going.” He glanced down at the gorge. The bottom was covered in shadows despite the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon. Nervously, he took a step back from the edge. If he had fallen down there, he probably would have died. He would have broken a couple bones at the very least. “What are you even doing out here?” she asked. “I could ask you the same thing. There aren’t any trails near here. What are you doing this far out in the woods all by yourself?” “Well, someone’s suspicious. I live in town. I grew up in these woods. What’s your excuse?” “Oh, um,” he hung his head ashamedly. “I guess I was kind of rude.” She smiled at him. “It’s OK! It makes sense that you’d be suspicious. I mean, we’ve never met before, and it’s getting dark. I think I would be more worried if you weren’t a little nervous.”

He chuckled. “You’re funny. What’s your name?” “I’m Pacifica Southeast.” They shook hands. “I’m Gideon Pines. Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving me back there,” he said, nodding towards the ravine. “No problem. What was so fascinating in that book of yours anyways?” “Nothing!” he said quickly. “I was...um, I was just trying to find the trail again.” “Are you lost?” “Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “Yeah, it’s pretty easy to get turned around in these parts of the woods.” “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” “I know this forest like the back of my hand,” she said with a smile. “But most of us locals know not to venture out here. You’ve gotta be from out of town.” He chuckled. “That obvious, huh? I moved here a few weeks ago.” “Well, glad to have a new face around town. But seriously, we should get back before dark. This place is seriously creepy.” “Yeah, it is. So why are you out here this late at night? I mean, you’re clearly not lost.” She glanced down and fiddled with the end of her ponytail bashfully.

“It’s totally embarrassing.” He raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. “Try me.” “So, I, um, kind of thought I saw a manticore.” “No way! I thought I saw one earlier too! That’s how I got all turned around!” He whipped out the journal and flipped to the page about the manticore. Except for a rough sketch, it was surprisingly empty. “Could you tell what it looked like? Where did you see it? Was it eating anything? How far did it get before you lost it? How did you lose it? Did it see you?” “Woah, woah, slow down,” she said, holding her hands up. “It’s not that exciting. Turns out it was just a deer with a really weird tail.” “Oh,” Gideon said, deflating. “Yeah, that makes sense I guess.” “What’s that book in your hands?” He startled at the realization that he was still holding the journal. He tucked it into his vest quickly. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a trail guide.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Um, anyways, how do we get back to town?” She scanned the treeline. “I think it’s this way,” Pacifica said, pointing away from the rapidly setting sun. “You think? Gee, you must really know your way around these woods.” She shoved him playfully. “Shut up. Come on, I don’t want to be here when the sun goes down.” They plunged into the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! You guys are getting three chapters today! I just wanted to apologize for my inconsistent posting lately. I'm sorry. I really do appreciate everyone who reads this story, so thank you. As always, feel free to leave a comment.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a little more of the day when Gideon and Pacifica first met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Non consensual kiss. Skip the second half of the last paragraph or so.

After about fifteen minutes, Pacifica sat down on a tree stump in defeat. “Alright, I’m lost.” “I wonder what tipped you off.” Gideon glanced around and tried to get his bearings. The shadows around the trees were nearly pitch black, and they had only gotten longer as the sun had set. With the night air came a light fog that settled over the forest floor. Already, he could barely see the base of the trees. “How do we get back home?” he wondered aloud. “Well, since I just got us more lost, why don’t you pick the direction we go in?” He nodded absentmindedly. He pulled out the journal, and thumbed through the pages. Near the back of the book, he found an entry that vaguely resembled the treeline around him. The caption on the page read, “Highly susceptible to curses. Proceed with caution.” Gideon swallowed. He didn’t need an ominous warning on top of the already creepy forest. He flipped to the next page, and saw what looked like a map of the woods. He found the ravine he had almost fallen down, and did his best to follow the path he thought they had taken. He scanned the nearby areas, and saw a small building marked in bright red. “Hey, it looks like there’s a building up ahead. Maybe someone there can point us in the right direction.” Pacifica leapt to her feet. “Alright! Let’s go!” “Just like that? Have you never seen a horror movie?” “Nope! Not enough glitter for my tastes. Which way do we need to go?” He gestured in the direction of the setting sun.

By the time they arrived at the building, the sun had fallen behind the horizon. The deeper they’d gotten into the woods, the heavier the fog had grown, and the more densely the trees had clumped together. They had spent the next five minutes pulling branches out of their way and squeezing between the trees. They stumbled through the last set of branches, and into a large clearing.

In front of them was a small, two story shack. The wooden boards were cracked and weathered from age, and a part of the porch roof had caved in. Up near the top of the roof was a sign. Gideon squinted to decipher it. He thought it might have read “Mystery Shack,” but he couldn’t be sure. “Mystery Shack? Kind of sounds like the Tent of Telepathy the Gleefuls run,” Pacifica said. Gideon startled. “You know the Gleefuls?” “Everyone does. They’re the richest people in town. Reverse Falls wouldn’t get half the tourism we do without their fortune telling scam.” “I don’t think it’s a scam. They-they knew my Mom died. I haven’t told that to anyone in town.” She startled at the news before turning to him. “Gideon, I’m so sorry.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “I know that probably doesn’t sound sincere, but if there’s anything I can do for you...” He smiled at her. “Thanks. I’m fine though.” “Ok.” She glanced back up at the building. “I don’t think anyone lives here. This place looks pretty abandoned.” Gideon took a step closer. “There’s something off about this place,” he muttered. “Other than the fact that it's a creepy old abandoned building in the middle of the woods?” “Yeah.” He glanced down at the base of the shack. “Look at those weeds.” She followed his gaze. “So? They’re just a couple of ugly plants.” “Yeah, but look at how tall they are.” “Kinda short.” “Exactly. They haven’t been growing for very long. Therefore, this place hasn’t been abandoned very long. If I had to guess, I’d say only a year or two.” Pacifica’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Huh, that is weird.” “I think something happened here. Something bad.” A gentle breeze sprang up, and pushed her hair in her face. She batted it out of the way. “Gideon, I think we should go.” He took a step forward, peering at the porch intently. Pacifica caught him by the arm. “Gideon, I really think we should go.”

The wind picked up and swirled around them. It carried the faint sound of laughter. Slowly, the front door swung open. Pacifica’s nails dug into Gideon’s forearm. He whipped out the journal and flipped through it. Two kids came tumbling out of the door. The two teenagers relaxed. There was nothing to be scared of. “Hey! Could you kids tell us where we are?” Gideon called out to them. The kids ignored them, continuing to chase each other around the yard. After a minute, they collapsed on the grass, breathing hard. Pacifica waved a hand in front of the little girl’s face. “Hello?” “I don’t think they can see us, Pacifica.” “How can they not see us? We’re standing right in front of them.” Gideon shook his head bewildered. “I don’t know, but I don’t think they’re really here.” “Um...” She tried to poke the little girl on the forehead, but her hand simply passed through. The two figures were illusions or ghosts or something. Pacifica’s nose scrunched up. “That’s weird.” Suddenly, something crashed to the ground inside the house. The kids leapt up. The boy grabbed his sister by the hand, and ran towards the woods. Once again, the front door swung open, and crashed against the wooden building. Standing in it was a hunched over old man, with stubble on his chin and a loose hanging jacket. The kids jumped at the noise. The kids sprinted into the woods. The little girl stumbled after her brother shakily. “Where do you think you kids are going?” the old man roared. “Just for a walk, sir.” the little boy said. The old man took a minute to process what the kid had just said. The siblings stood frozen at the edge of the woods. “You ain’t goin’ into town are ya?” the old man slurred. The way he spoke reminded Gideon of his own father. “No sir,” the boy said. “Mabel and I are just going for a walk.” Gideon flinched slightly as he recognized the name. Surely the scared little girl couldn’t be Mabel Gleeful. He focused his attention back on the scene, ready to help the kids in any way he could. “If you’re lyin’ to me...” The old man trailed off. The threat sunk into the kids, and the little boy smiled. “Yes sir.” The kids ran off into the woods, and the boy tossed one last glance over his shoulder before he disappeared into the trees.

The apparitions vanished, and Pacifica took a step back. “Gideon, I really, really don’t think we should be here.” “Just one more minute, Pacifica. These are real ghosts. This is the discovery of a century.” She tugged on his arm. “Gideon, please. I’m starting to get the feeling this place is abandoned for a reason.” The wind picked up again, and they heard laughter behind them. The two kids came running out of the forest, chasing each other playfully. They passed straight through the teenagers like they were made of smoke. “This is weird, Gideon.” “Yeah, and it’s so cool,” he said, scrambling to take down notes in his journal.” “Fine, one more minute. But I really think we should get out of here.” He nodded absentmindedly. Suddenly the temperature dropped and the wind picked up.. Pacifica pulled her jacket tighter around her, and Gideon did his best not to shiver. “What’s going on?” he said over the howling wind. “Gideon, we need to go.” The door slammed open, and the kids stopped laughing immediately. “Where the hell have you kids been?” “W-we were just out in the woods, sir,” the boy said. “Where’s dinner?” the old man snapped. “What dinner?” the little girl, Mabel, said. “I sent you into town to get me dinner!” “B-but you said we weren’t allowed to go into town!” the boy protested. “Don’t you lie to me!” “I’m not! You said we better not go into town! You never said anything about dinner!” The old man staggered over to them, weaving across the grass, off balance. He had a glass bottle of beer in his hand. “Don’t you talk back to me, you ungrateful little brat!” The boy shrank, but he pulled his sister behind him, a clear sign of protection. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.” “No, it won’t.” He raised his fist, and slammed it into the side of the boy’s head. The kid fell to the ground, and slowly lifted his head. “I-I’m sorry sir,” he whispered. “Shut up. I’m tryin’ to teach you a lesson!” The old man raised his fist again, and the kid pressed himself to the ground. His sister leaped in front of him, her arms spread wide. “Stop! You’re hurting him!” “Good. It’s the only way you brats’ll learn anything.” “Look, we’ll get you dinner next time. Please, just stop hurting him!” The old man shoved her to the ground. He kicked the boy in the side, and the kid curled in on himself, trying to shield his head. The old man raised his beer bottle, clearly intending to hit the kid, before he stopped.

He raised his head, as if listening for something. The kids took advantage of his distraction to run inside the house. Slowly, the old man turned around to stare directly at Pacifica and Gideon. “Who are you?” he slurred. “Um, w-we were just looking for directions,” Gideon said nervously. “So, if-if you could point us in the right direction...” “What are you kids doin’ on my property?” “We were just walking, sir,” Pacifica said. “We’ll get out of your hair now.” She grabbed Gideon by the arm, and started to pull him to the edge of the woods. “I didn’t say you could leave!” “I’m sorry sir, but it’s getting late, and we really have to get home,” she said hurriedly. “Who are you?” Gideon asked, eyes on the door to make sure the kids were safe. “Why do you wanna know?” “No reason,” he said with a shrug. “Nosy brat. I don’t have to tell you nothin’” “No you don’t sir. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.” He and Pacifica turned to leave, but ghostly blue fire enveloped the treeline. They backed away instinctively. “You brats aren’t goin’ anywhere” “Look, sir, we don’t want to get in your way. Please, just let us leave!” Pacifica said. “I don’t need you kids causin’ trouble, ya hear?” The old man rose into the air, wreathed in flames. “You’re trespassin! Now I’m gonna make sure you brats never make that mistake again!” “Duck!” Gideon shouted, and tackled Pacifica. The two of them rolled across the clearing as the patch where they had been standing caught fire. It was the same ghostly blue flames that wreathed the old man. “Thanks,” Pacifica said, getting to her feet. There was a ripping sound, and one of the wooden planks on the side of the building tore away. Pacifica leapt to the right, Gideon to the left. He dove behind the only tree in the clearing as he heard more boards ripping free from their moorings.

Frantically he flipped through his journal. He was ninety percent sure there had been an entry about ghosts in there. Near the end of the book, he found a weathered page, stained with dark splotches of red. He tried not to think about what those splotches were. He scanned the page. “Weaknesses, weaknesses, what are this guy’s weaknesses?” His gaze landed on a little note at the bottom. “While weaknesses may vary from spirit to spirit, it is always true that they can be trapped within a silver mirror.” “Where am I going to get a silver mirror?” he wondered aloud. Something crashed into the ground at the base of the tree, and he ducked his head. “A little help would be nice here, Gideon!” Pacifica yelled. “Give me a minute!” He scanned the clearing for anything sliver. Nothing. Maybe there would be something in the house? “Keep him busy!” he called over his shoulder as he dashed over to the porch. “What do you think I’m doing?” Pacifica yelled back as she dodged another volley of flames. He ducked under the sagging roof and into the main room. There was a broken coffee table in the middle, a busted TV and a rather disgusting looking couch. There was no mirror. He poked his head into the next room, and saw a set of stairs leading up. The bedrooms were probably on the second floor. If there was a silver mirror anywhere in the house, it would probably be up there. He sprinted up the stairs, and skidded down the hallway. He saw one of the doors was ajar, and burst into the room. It was the bathroom, and mounted on the wall was a small shaving mirror. The rim around it was made out of silver. The braces holding it place were peeling off the wall, and the screws were already loose. Gideon grabbed the mirror by the base and ripped it out of the wall. He brushed the plaster and loose nails off, and sprinted back outside. He had just stepped out the door when Pacifica crashed into the porch. The corner of the roof finally gave out, and wood and ceramic tiles rained down. “Oh my God!” Gideon dropped the mirror, and began to dig through the rubble. “Pacifica! Pacifica!” Her head popped up at the other end of the heap. “I’m fine. I got out of the way in time. Tile hit my shoulder though.” She rubbed at it as she stood up. “What’s the plan?” He held up the mirror and showed it to her. “We need to trap him in here somehow.” “Kay!” She cracked her knuckles, grabbed one of the discarded planks, and ran screaming at the old man. Gideon scrambled to get into place behind him and held up the mirror. With a yell, Pacifica whacked the ghost over the head with the plank, and he tumbled backwards into the mirror. The two sat down to catch their breath, and Gideon showed the surface of the mirror to Pacifica. The old ghost was banging his fists against the glass, but the enchantment held firm. “I’m going to get you for this! I’m going to teach you to never mess with me again!” “Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say.” Pacifica waved him off. “What do you say we bury this thing, huh?” Gideon nodded. “I don’t think I want anyone releasing him.” “Yeah, I don’t think he’s a very good person.” “I wonder what happened to those kids,” Gideon mused, looking back at the crumbling building. “How about we say they got out and lived happily ever after?” “Yeah, let’s say that.” They buried the mirror deep in the woods, and managed to find their way home about an hour later.

They reached his back gate, and he swung it open. Gideon turned to her, a smile on his face. “It was really nice to meet you, Pacifica.” “You too!” She turned to walk away, but Gideon called after her. “Hey, wait! Could-could I maybe have your number?” He fidgeted nervously. “It’s just, you were so cool in the clearing today, and-” “Of course! You’re my friend!” She grabbed his phone and entered her number into his contacts list. Gideon blinked. “We’re friends? Just like that?” “Of course silly! We almost died together! How can you not be friends with someone after that?” He shrugged, deciding to just go along with it. “I guess that’s true.” He entered his number into her phone, and she skipped off. “Bye!” “Bye!” He had a feeling there was much more in store for them.

Gideon shook off the memories. The more he thought about it however, the more he was sure that it had been Mabel Gleeful he had seen in the clearing that day. He was on a mission. His priority now was finding the Gleefuls and stopping them from getting their hands on Journal One. He skirted the edge of the ravine, and glanced down into it. He and Pacifica had buried the mirror they had trapped the ghost in down there. He paused a moment, and then spit into the ravine. Mabel may have been a psychopath, but she hadn’t deserved what that guy had put her and Dipper through. Satisfied, he turned away and trudged deeper into the woods.

Mabel waited at the edge of the treeline, knife in hand. She was overjoyed to see her sweet Gideon again. It was almost as if he had been avoiding her. She heard branches snapping under foot, and looked out from the tree she was hiding behind. Gideon was stumbling across the forest floor, still limping a little from his fight with Dipper. There was a shadow following him. He stepped through the treeline and she saw that he was with that witch, Pacifica. Mabel’s grip tightened on the hilt of her knife. “Hello, Gideon.” He put his arm in front of Pacifica protectively. “Mabel, I don’t want to hurt you. Let us pass. We just want the journal.” She studied the blade of her knife as if contemplating the idea. “I really don’t care about the journal.” Gideon breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s great, so if you could just...” “But Dipper did I say I could have some fun.” She turned her gaze towards Pacifica. “Don’t worry, Gideon. I’ll make sure she pays for keeping you away from me.” Mabel threw her knife, and it grazed Pacifica’s cheekbone. Before either of them could react, Mabel lunged for them. Gideon dodged to the side, but Pacifica crashed to the ground, Mabel on top of her. The young psychopath grabbed her knife, and caressed the edge of Pacifica’s face with the blade. Gideon leapt at Mabel, and tackled her, the two of them rolling down a ravine. When they hit the bottom, Mabel managed to regain her footing first. She pinned him down with her knee and leaned in. “I don’t want to have too hurt you, sweetheart. Just stay down.” She kissed him, and he shoved her off. He rolled to the side, his ribs screaming in protest. He lay there for a minute, trying to regain his breath. Seeing that Gideon wasn’t going to try anything, Mabel began to climb back up the ravine, but Gideon got to his knees and grabbed her by the ankle. She tripped and dropped her knife. Gideon grabbed it, and brandished it awkwardly. “Stay down, Mabel. I don’t want to have to use this.” She swept his legs out from under him and regained her footing. Bending down over him, she ground her knee into his chest. “Oh, sweetie, you don’t listen very well, do you?” Weakly, Gideon attempted to stab her in the arm with the knife, but she deftly caught his wrist. She twisted his arm, and he dropped the knife. She pinned his hand to the ground, and laced her fingers with his. “Get off of me!” He tried to get up, but she pushed him back down. “But this is so much fun. Why would you want me to stop?” Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and someone shoved her to the ground. Pacifica was standing over them, a large branch in her hand. Mabel gently put her hand to the base of her skull, and when she pulled it away, there was blood on her fingertips. “That freaking hurt, you witch.” Pacifica kicked her in the face and hit her again with the stick, knocking her unconscious.. “That’s definitely gonna leave a bruise.” Gideon said, wiping the dirt from his face. “I hope so. Let’s go.” Pacifica helped him up, and they sprinted into the shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am aware of the plot holes in this. Please keep in mind I wrote this after I had already published chapter 20. Also I will have to cut out my Friday upload as I simply don't have the time. As always feel free to leave a comment.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gleefuls have now collected all three journals, but what will happen when they put them to use?

Dipper and Will stepped into the room. There was a large control console directly in front of them, and various switches and gauges on the wall. A door and a glass partition led into another, larger room. In it, there was simply a large triangle with a hole in the center. It looked exactly like the diagram, except for the fact that it was in pieces. “Fix it,” Dipper said. “F-fix that? I’m not sure if I can.” “Oh, please, for me?” Dipper tried to put as much affection and sweetness into the request as he could. He was a little disturbed at how easy it was to muster up the feelings. He did his best to ignore the thoughts. His nerves were already frayed enough. He didn’t need to be questioning himself too. “I’m-I’m not sure if I should.” “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t turn it on, Will,” he said with a smile. “I just want to see how it works.” After a moment of hesitation, Will smiled back. He stepped into the other room and his eyes began to glow as he tapped into his powers.

Dipper watched through the glass partition as Will raised his arms and the various pieces of the portal began to levitate. Slowly, the frame assembled itself into the vague structure it was supposed to be, albeit, much more decrepit. Will stepped back into the control room. Dipper moved to the main console and ran his fingers over the various buttons and switches. He pulled open Journal One, and flipped through it, looking for any instructions the author… that Stan might have left behind. Will tapped his fingers against the doorframe nervously. “Stop that,” Dipper said. “It’s annoying.” Will dropped his hand to his side quickly. “Dipper, please, don’t turn the portal on.” “Why not?” Will hesitated. “You don’t know what’ll come through. And if it’s…” he stopped. “Please, you don’t want to mess with this.” He glanced down nervously. “I love you.” Dipper glanced up, startled. He didn’t know how to react. Will wasn’t lying or acting. He meant it. “Y-You know I do as well,” Dipper said. He couldn’t tell if he was simply sticking to his script or if he actually meant it. He forced himself to turn his attention back to the console in front of him. “Why shouldn’t I activate this portal?” “I don’t want to see you get hurt.” With a thud, Dipper closed the journal. He turned to face Will, and with a few steps closed the distance between them. “You don’t tell me what to do, Will.” Will hung his head. “Yes sir.”   
Slowly, Dipper opened the journal and forced himself to just think about what he needed to do. As his eyes fell on the command code, the elevator doors creaked open. A shadow fell across the control console. “Dipper, I don’t want to have to fight you. Just hand over the journals and we’ll call it even.” Gideon said from behind him. Dipper turned around with a smile. “What a shame, because I do want to fight you.” Dipper closed the journal gently and passed it to Will. “Hold on to that for me, will you?” His eyes began to glow, and he raised the palm of his hand. Gideon and Pacifica’s feet started to float off the ground, and Dipper motioned with his hand. The pair flew through the door out into the larger portal room. They tumbled across the floor, and Dipper stepped through the doorway. Slowly he drew his knife and glanced down at the two teenagers sprawled out on the floor. He chuckled in anticipation. This was going to be fun. He planted his foot on Gideon’s chest. “So, you didn’t learn your lesson.” He ground his heel into the boy’s ribs. Gideon winced in pain. “I guess I’ll just have to make it harder to forget.” He raised the knife, but something slammed into him from behind and he was tackled to the ground. Blonde hair flew into his face and Pacifica kicked him. He curled onto his side. “Thanks, sweetheart,” Gideon said.

Memories flooded into Dipper’s head, but he shoved them down. He had to focus right now. He forced himself to stand up. Somehow, he had managed to keep his grip on the knife. He yanked the duo back into the room, and kept them levitating off the ground. “Will, power me up.” “B-but sir-” “Do it! Don’t question me.”   
He felt his magical grip on the two tighten, and he suspended the knife in the air as well. “So, this is who you betrayed my sister for.” He flicked his finger, and the knife slashed across her cheek. Pacifica barely even flinched. “Leave her alone, Dipper! It’s me you want!” “Well, I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.” He pressed the knife to Gideon’s throat. “But are you really sure you’re ready to die for her?” Gideon swallowed. Dipper smirked; apparently that had been answer enough for him. “A coward, just like I thought.” He flicked his wrist, and pinned them to the wall. Gideon’s arm caught behind a pipe, and he struggled to free himself. He glanced over at the portal, and an idea struck him. “Will, put in the command code.” “B-but sir...” “DO IT!” he roared, and the demon flinched, before reluctantly inputting the code. Dipper would win this fight no matter what it took. “Will, you don’t have to do this!” Gideon said. It was pitiful how he had to resort to begging. Dipper chuckled. “You know, I’m really not sure how you managed to beat us every time. You two truly are pathetic.” “No we’re not!” Pacifica said, her voice deeply offended. “Why are you so mean?” He turned to her with a smile, and closed his fist, feeling the magic crushing her. “Because it’s so much fun.” She gasped for air, and after a moment, he loosened his grip on her. He had agreed to leave her for Mabel. But that meant that he could do whatever he wanted with Gideon.

He yanked Gideon free from the pipe and held him up by the shirt collar. He wanted to do this up close and personal. He wanted to see the fear in Gideon’s eyes. He raised the knife, ready to bring it down when the elevator door slid open. Mabel stumbled out, bleeding from a gash on her forehead. “Who hit you?” Dipper asked, unable to keep the overprotectiveness from his voice. She pointed at Pacifica dazedly. Dipper’s eyes began to glow brighter, but Mabel said “I’ll take care of her. I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun.” He smiled, and turned his attention back to Gideon. He summoned fire to his hand, a trick that was now incredibly easy due to his power boost. His smile widened. He could tell Gideon was looking past him, silently pleading with Will. Nothing would come of it. The demon was pathetically loyal. Dipper raised his hand, and brought it closer to Gideon’s face.   
Suddenly, all the magical power in him cut out, turning from power to pain. He dropped Gideon, and sank to his knees. Beside him, the same thing was happening to Mabel. He did his best not to scream. If he screamed Stan would hear him. He couldn’t put Mabel in danger like that. He started breathing hard, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gideon helping Pacifica stand up. Right. He was safe. Stan was gone. He was in control. He was in control. He forced himself to stand up, and raised his hand once again. Suddenly, the pain cut out, but so did the extra reserves of magical energy.

Dipper turned as Will ran into the room. “Why did you cut the power?” “It was hurting you Dipper! I’m sorry!” Dipper growled, but he let it slide. At least the demon was trying to protect him. Suddenly, the portal began to glow blue and gravity stopped working. The teenagers started to float off the ground, and Mabel yelled, “Is this supposed to happen?” “How should I know?” Dipper yelled back. Pacifica floated past them, arms outstretched. “This is so much fun!” There was a whirring sound, and the portal pushed them against the wall. Dipper tried to pull himself free, but now his arm was caught behind a pipe. The others appeared to be just as trapped. “I don’t think this was supposed to happen!” Gideon yelled, and for once Dipper agreed with him. Something was wrong. There was a cracking sound, as if the metal was tearing itself apart, and suddenly the glow stopped. The portal tilted on its side and gravity returned. The five teenagers fell to the ground, and tried to catch their breath. Slowly Dipper looked up, and standing in front of the portal was someone he didn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh heh. Oh things are getting good.


	30. Chapter 30

The whole room froze. Slowly, the figure removed his mask and pulled off his scarf to reveal an old, weathered face. He had a small scruffy beard, and an old, beat up pair of glasses. Dipper gasped as if he recognized the man. “Stan?” Mabel took a step back and raised her knife. Dipper held out his hand, and his eyes flashed blue in warning. “Don’t take another step!” The man gently removed his glasses and wiped the lenses with his sleeve. “I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else. Stan is my twin brother. My name is Stanford Gleeful.” “But-but-” Dipper stuttered, losing all his composure. Stanford fixed his glasses, and shook the dust out of his trench coat. “Tell me, how do you know my brother?” There was a pause. “He was our great-uncle.” Mabel said, her voice for once devoid of any of her usual bubbly happiness. “Oh, well then, I suppose you two are Gleefuls as well then?” Dipper nodded. His eyes had stopped glowing, but his hand was still raised.

Stanford turned his attention to Gideon and Pacifica, who had slowly been edging their way to the door. Dipper startled when he realized he had nearly let the two slip away. “And who might you be?” At the sound of the older man’s voice, Dipper flinched. He forced himself to focus on the threat in front of him. He had to control the situation. He was in charge here. “Oh, ignore them. They're just these obnoxious kids that keep getting in our way,” Dipper said with a wave of his hand. Ford turned his gaze back to the boy magician, a scathing judgement in his eyes. “Now Dipper, I know we just met, but please don’t tell me what to do.” Dipper swallowed. “Yes sir.” Nervously, he rubbed at his scar. Stanford turned back to the mystery duo and said, “What are your name’s, children?” “This is Gideon, and I’m Pacifica!” Gideon gently put an arm on her shoulder. “Pacifica, I’m not sure I’m comfortable telling this guy anything about us. He is a Gleeful after all. Besides, even Dipper’s scared of him.” “I am not!” Despite his protests though, Will noticed Dipper’s hands fidgeting nervously with the edge of his cape.

He wanted so badly to comfort Dipper, but he didn’t dare move. Better to stay invisible. Better not to get tricked into a deal. With a start he wondered why he was so scared of Ford. Ford had never done anything Dipper hadn’t also done. Maybe he was just scared because Dipper would find out he had been with Ford. He just had to stay quiet. “Just don’t upset Ford.” Will forced himself to tune back into the conversation in case Dipper called him over.

“So, you’ve explored the magic in this town? You’ve been cataloging it?” Stanford was saying to Gideon. Dipper bristled. “Well, I mean he has, but most of the new discoveries were mine!” “You only care about the magic so you can exploit it!” Gideon retorted. “I see. You both chronicle the town’s strange happenings.” Stanford said, the smallest smirk on his face as the two boys devolved into an argument. He tilted his head to the side as if he was considering the boys. “You know, now that I’m back, perhaps I’ll take on an apprentice. I’d love to keep it in the family, Dipper, but you show a great deal of promise, Gideon.” Dipper lost his composure. He lunged at Gideon, but Mabel caught him around the waist. He shoved her off of him and glared at Gideon. He didn’t see the small smile on Stanford’s face. “I’m sorry,” Gideon said, turning to Stanford, “But what would you be teaching me, exactly?” Dipper snorted. Sometimes he couldn’t believe just how dumb his rival was. “You haven’t figured it out yet? He’s clearly the author!” StanFord grinned, pleased to be recognized. “Yes, those are my journals you hold in your hand, Dipper.” The boy magician startled with the realization that he was still clutching the books. “Oh-um-I guess these belong to you!” He nervously handed the stack of books to Stanford, who took them reluctantly, a rather disgusted look on his face. “...Thank you.” He set them down on the ground by his feet, and clapped his hands together. “Well, if everything is in order, let’s get going. If this room is any indication, this house is in no condition for me to stay in it.” He turned to the twins. “May I stay with you kids tonight?” After a moment’s hesitation, Dipper nodded. “You can stay at our mansion tonight if you would like. We have plenty of room.” “Smart and rich. Glad to see you’re following in my footsteps, Dipper.” Dipper couldn’t stop himself from beaming at the praise. “Yes, that should be adequate,” he mused. Stanford began to walk through the door before he stopped. He had noticed Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's shorter than usual guys, but if I had kept it at the normal length, it would have ended up being super long.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanford seems to know Will, but how? And what does the elder Pines want?

Gideon silently nudged Pacifica until she got the message. She ducked out of the room. She was about to step into the elevator before she noticed he wasn’t following. She motioned for him to get out of the portal room, but he ignored her. Slowly, he crept over to where Stanford had left the journals and quietly reached for the third journal. He ignored Pacifica’s frantic gestures for him to leave it and get out of there. He tucked it under his vest and darted for the control room door. When he and Pacifica were safely tucked away in the elevator she turned to him. “Gideon, why did you go back for the journal? You should have just gotten out of there. I don’t think this Stanford guy is someone we want to mess with.” “Exactly. I couldn’t let him get his hands on it, even if he did write it. Besides, we came for the journal. I didn’t want to leave without it.” “That was so risky! What if Mabel or Dipper had seen you?” “I had to risk it. Besides I think they were pretty distracted.” She sighed. She knew she wasn’t going to win the fight. She took Gideon’s hand. “Just promise me you’ll never do anything that risky again.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I promise. I won’t pull anything like that again.” “You realize you said that after you went to their mansion alone, right?” “Are you ever going to let that go? I said I was sorry.” “Of course I’m not. I was so worried. You almost died! And I was really scared I was gonna lose you! I love you.” “I love you too.” The elevator dinged open and they left the building, determined to put as much distance between themselves and the twins as possible.

Dipper stared in shock at the dream demon. Will quivered under Stanford’s gaze, and Dipper readied himself to rush in and help the demon. Instead Stanford smiled. “Will, it’s wonderful to see you again. It’s been ages. How are you?” Will shrank against the wall, and Dipper wanted to reach out to him, but decided he shouldn’t give away his relationship just yet. “I’m good.” Will’s voice was barely above a whisper. “How did you hold up while I was away?” “I’m fine.” Stanford reached for Will’s face, and he flinched away. Dipper raised his hand, but Stanford just wiped away a streak of dust, and Mabel gently lowered Dipper’s hand. “Not yet,” she whispered. It was surreal to have his sister restrain him. “And how do you know my grand-niece and nephew?” “They-they summoned me.” Will desperately looked like he wanted to talk about anything else. “And how do you know Dipper? You two seem quite close.” A bead of sweat rolled down Will’s face, and he pressed himself closer to the wall. Dipper stepped in front of Will protectively. “We’re together,” he said, a note of warning in his voice. Stanford’s eyes narrowed. “I see. I’m glad to see you still managed to be happy even while I was away, Will.” Dipper noticed the expression, and glanced back at the demon. “Will, what is he talking about?” Will shuffled his feet nervously. “You-you weren’t the first humans that summoned me.” Dipper stared at him for a moment before he realized what Will meant. He inhaled sharply. “But-but you told me...” “I’m so sorry! I just thought if you didn’t know, maybe you would like me better.” Dipper’s bottom lip quivered, but he did his best to stop it. “So you lied to me. Again.” “I’m sorry, Dipper. Please, forgive me.”

“I see you’re back to betraying the people who trust you, William.” Stanford said over his shoulder, the malice in his voice very thinly veiled. He straightened the cuffs of his coat and cast a sidelong glance at Will. “You could just never stop letting people down, could you, William? It really is a shame, but you just seem to turn everyone away, don’t you? Especially those closest to you.” Dipper raised his eyebrows and turned towards Stanford. “Wait, how do you know Will?” “Oh, did he lie to you about that too?” Stanford said, without even bothering to look back. “Do you really think you’re the first person he’s ever fallen for?”

Dipper turned back to Will, no longer bothering to hide the quiver in voice. “How many other times have you lied to me?” Will looked like he was doing his best to be absorbed by the wall. “Nothing else. I promise. I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m sorry.” “That was rather pathetic, Will, although I suppose with you it always is. That’s certainly not an apology I would accept, but I suppose we’ll leave that up to Dipper.” Dipper turned away in an attempt to collect himself, and his gaze landed on where Stanford had set the journals. There were only two on the stack now. Gideon and Pacifica were nowhere to be seen. Dipper growled and slammed his fist into the wall next to Will’s head. The demon flinched, but otherwise didn’t move. “What’s wrong, brother?” Mabel asked. She knew it would take a lot to make him lose his composure like this. “It’s the journals,” he growled. Mabel turned too look at them, and realized Journal Three was missing. “I see.” Stanford turned to look, and simply adjusted his glasses. “I had high hopes for you, Dipper. It’s a shame you disappointed me.” The words from his idol stung, but he did his best not to let it show. “Don’t worry. Gideon and Pacifica won’t get away with this.” “But they already have. It would seem that you’ve failed to stop them multiple times. You should have killed them when you got the chance.” “See, I told you!” Dipper hissed at his sister. “And I say you’re wrong. I’m not going to let anything happen to my sweet Gideon!” she said with a cold smile. The warning was unmistakable. Dipper let the issue drop. He could deal with it later. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand. “The brats couldn’t have gotten far. If we leave now, we should be able to catch up with them.” “I suppose you could try, but Gideon did certainly seem much smarter than you,” Stanford said, tucking the remaining journals into his coat. “Perhaps if you hadn’t gotten distracted, you might have been able to take them down once and for all.” Dipper nodded, furious with himself. “You’re right. I was distracted.” He turned to Will, hands curling into fists. “You distracted me.” “I-I’m sorry Dipper.” He had known this would have to happen at some point. His feelings were becoming far too complicated to allow the charade to continue. But he still had to force himself to get the words out. “Clearly, our relationship is becoming a liability. I can’t focus on my goals if I also have to focus on what you want.” He leaned in closer, and whispered in Will’s ear. “Besides, you lied to me. I can’t trust you. You betrayed me.” “I’m sorry Dipper. I promise, I’ll never lie to you again.” “But you see, I simply can’t trust you.” He turned his back on the demon and marched towards the door. “It’s over, Will. We’re done.”

He watched as the family left the room, noting how familiar they looked. The girl looked suspiciously like Shooting Star. The boy in the cape had the same odd birthmark as Pine Tree. He snorted. Pine Tree would look ridiculous in a cape. The man ushered the three teenagers out of the room, and turned back for one last look at the portal. He recognized the man’s face immediately. It was Sixer. “Well, well, well. Things certainly just got a whole lot more interesting.” He watched as Pine Tree’s look alike shoved past the kid with blue hair, and Bill got a closer look at the other demon’s face. It was his brother, Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I just got back from a vacation, and the week before was crazy stressful. As always, thank you to my wonderful beta reader Kai for their input on this chapter. You're a godsend.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Bill

Will couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, but couldn’t seem to get comfortable. He burrowed under the covers, and squeezed his eyes shut. After a moment, he pulled them off because he was too hot. He began breathing harder, and a few beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Ford was back. He had helped to bring him back. He should be glad Ford was back, shouldn’t he? Ford had taken care of him all those years ago. He was here because of Ford. He had given him a home, and he had been nothing but kind and sweet, as long as Will didn’t mess things up. He should be glad Ford was back, shouldn’t he? Instead he was terrified. He pulled his pillow close to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to slow his breathing, but the persistent, intrusive thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone. He had messed up so many times, but he had never seemed to learn. Ford had been so patient with him, and he had always done his best to teach Will. He had rescued him from FiddleFord.  
So why was he so scared of him?

Gently, Will ran his fingers over the eyepatch he always wore. Ford had given it to him. Ford had given him so many things. Unbidden, certain memories came to him, of Ford losing his temper when the portal had failed to work, yelling at Will when things didn’t match up perfectly. Of course, it was his fault whenever projects fell through. He had probably messed up some piece or other, and now it didn’t work like it was supposed to.

The memories haunted him, and he fidgeted restlessy. At some point he had started crying. But he was always crying. It had infuriated Ford. He had been so weak, and Ford taught him how to be strong. More importantly, Ford was strong for him. His breakup with Dipper certainly hadn’t helped. Of course, it had been his fault they had lost the journal. But he had been trying to do the right thing. So why was everyone mad at him?

“Will?” A voice whispered softly. Thinking it was Ford, Will jumped, and the candle on the nightstand lit itself, unbidden. He sat up as color slowly started to drain from the room around him. The clock's ticking slowed before stopping all together. It was a realm he hadn’t been in for years. He pulled his pillow closer to his chest and scanned the room in front of him. Suddenly, a bright yellow triangle in a bowtie and tophat popped into existence in front of him. “WELL, WELL, WELL. LOOK WHO IT IS! I HAVEN”T SEEN YOU IN YEARS, BLUE!” Slowly, Will relaxed as he recognized the demon standing in front of him. “Bill? What are you-How did you-” “WHAT, YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY? NO WAY! SO, WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?” “But our dimension-you-I thought you were dead!” “WELL I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, SO I GUESS WE’RE EVEN! WHO’S THE MEAT-SACK YOU’RE PUPPETING?” “I’m not puppeting anyone,” he whispered. “OH, DON’T TELL ME THAT’S YOUR MEAT-SACK!” Bill rolled his eye. “WELL, I GUESS IF THAT’S HOW THINGS ARE DONE HERE.”

There was a flash of light, and when Will could see again, Bill’s human form was floating right in front of him. He was dressed in a black button down shirt and slacks, with an overcoat patterned with yellow bricks. The roots of his hair were black, but the ends had been dyed yellow. He twirled his cane and spun around, reveling in the new form. “LOOK, I’VE EVEN GOT AN EYEPATCH TOO. WE MATCH!” Will flinched at the noise. “Shhhh! Don’t wake them up! Dipper’s trying to sleep!” Will whispered, covering Bill’s mouth. He listened intently to see if Bill had woken anyone up. In retaliation for being shut up, Bill bit his hand. Will yanked his hand back and hissed in pain. “What was that for?!” “GUESS I HAVEN'T COMPLETELY MASTERED THE MEAT SACK YET! OH WELL! SO HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?” “Good.” “REALLY? ‘CAUSE I’VE BEEN IN HERE FOR HOURS, AND THE WAY YOU WERE TOSSING AND TURNING, YOU’RE CLEARLY NOT OK.” “I’m fine.” Will snapped. Bill glanced down, upset. Will sighed apologetically. “Just been a long day I guess.” They sat in silence for a moment before Bill said, “YOU WANT A LULLABY?” “That would be really nice,” Will said softly, laying back down. Bill sat down on the edge of his bed, and pulled the covers up over Will’s shoulders. He started humming, and soon Will felt himself relaxing. Before he faded completely into unconsciousness, he heard Bill whisper, “I missed you, brother.”

He tossed and turned, but Dipper simply couldn’t seem to get comfortable. He was worried about Will. He found the notion ridiculous. After all, he had only entered the relationship in order to further manipulate the demon. He certainly didn’t have actual feelings for Will… did he? He snorted, and rolled over in yet another attempt to get comfortable. He closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep, before another thought interrupted him. “But Will had actual feelings for me.”

Dipper groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, trying his best to shut out the thought. Why did he have to have feelings? Life would be so much easier without any messy human emotions in the way. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about Will? He banged his head against the mattress and tried to get rid of the thoughts. He just wanted to get some sleep. Was that too much to ask?! With a sigh he pulled his blanket over his head and once again tried to get comfortable. Eventually he felt himself drifting off into a sleepy daze. Suddenly, time felt like it was slowing down. The color in the world bleached to gray, and Dipper sat up, ready for anything. Slowly the clock in the corner of his room stopped ticking. He held out his hand, ready to use his powers, but realized he couldn’t. There was something about this spell that was keeping him from using them. Instinctively, he lunged for Journal Two before remembering that Stanford had kept it. He tumbled off the bed, and landed face down, his butt in the air. He straightened himself up quickly, hoping no one had seen him.

“OH, ARE YOU HAPPY TO SEE ME, PINE TREE?” a voice said from behind him. Dipper whirled around, drawing the knife he always kept tucked in his sleeve. “Who are you?” “DON’T YOU RECOGNIZE ME, PINE TREE? IT’S YOUR OLD FRIEND, BILL CIPHER!” “Get out of my house,” Dipper growled, keeping his hand raised in warning. “OH, PINE TREE, WHATEVER PATHETIC SPELL YOU’RE GONNA TRY WON’T WORK! I’M THE ONE WITH ALL THE POWER!” Slowly Dipper lowered his hand. “What do you want?” “WHAT, I CAN’T SAY HI TO MY OLD PUPPET?” “I’m no one’s puppet.” “OOH, TOUCHY SUBJECT, HUH? WAS IT REALLY THAT BAD?” “Look, whoever you think I am, I’m not. I’ve never been your puppet. I’ve never been anyone’s puppet.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT. YOU ARE ACTING DIFFERENT THAN USUAL. BRAVER. I LIKE IT. IT’S CUTE.” “Um, thanks? You still haven’t told me why you’re here.” “I’M NEW HERE. I WANT TO GET THE LAY OF THE LAND SO TO SPEAK. YOU LOOK LIKE SOMEONE I KNOW, SO I FIGURED I’D COME SAY HI!” “Someone named Pine Tree?” “WELL, I MEAN THAT’S NOT ACTUALLY THE KID’S NAME OF COURSE. IT’S JUST WHAT I CALL HIM. HIS REAL NAME IS SOMETHING STUPID, LIKE MASON.” Dipper raised his hand again. “How do you know my real name?” “I’M A DREAM DEMON, KID. I SEE EVERYTHING!” “You’re a dream demon? There are more of you?” “COURSE THERE ARE KID! DO YOU KNOW ANOTHER ONE?” “Um...no. Just heard of guys like you.” “I SEE. WELL, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN DO?” “I’m not interested in making a deal.” “YOU SURE, PINE TREE? I COULD GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT.” “I want you to stop calling me Pine Tree.” Bill held out his hand. “I CAN DO THAT. WHAT DO YOU SAY KID? WANNA MAKE A DEAL?” Dipper shoved the hand out of the way. “No, I don’t. I just want to get some sleep. Get out of my house.” Bill seemed to get the message, and his hand dropped to his side. He floated off the ground and said, “I CAN TAKE A HINT, KID. JUST KEEP ME IN MIND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, GOT IT?” The demon blinked out of existence, and Dipper’s eyes flew open.   
He sat up in a cold sweat, finding himself back in bed. It had all been just a dream. He sighed in relief and rolled over to look at the clock. It was 5:30. No point going back to sleep now. He got up and got dressed. He pulled his cape over his shoulders. Will loved his cape. Oh, God. Will. He tried to shake the thought from his mind. He had been right to end it. His feelings were certainly becoming a liability. He walked out into the hall to get breakfast. His mind wandered over his meeting with Bill, and he wasn’t looking where he was going. He bumped into someone, and glanced up to see it was Will. He tried to ignore the pounding in his chest. “Look where you’re going.” “Sorry, sir,” Will whispered. Dipper shook his head. Will was so pathetic. He turned his thoughts back to Bill. Something occurred to him, but he shoved it down. He forced himself to keep walking, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. But no matter how much he tried to ignore it, the thought demanded to be heard.   
Will Cipher. Bill Cipher. There was more Will was keeping from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you to my wonderful Beta Reader Kai.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry I've been going so long between uploads. My life has been crazy hectic lately. I may have to lessen how quickly I upload. Would you guys prefer uploads every two weeks or every three weeks?


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little more about Ford and Will's past.

The ringing echoed through the halls of the mansion, and Will’s head snapped up with a start. He hadn’t heard that sound in years. It was the bell Ford had used whenever he wished to summon him. Reluctantly, Will set down the book he had been reading, and trudged to Ford’s room. He cracked open the door, and without looking up Ford said, “Come in, William.” Slowly, Will crept into the room and knelt at Ford’s side. “D-did you need something, sir?” “Oh, call me Ford, William. We’re friends after all, aren’t we?” Will smiled in relief. He was glad Ford wasn’t mad about him and Dipper. “We are,” Will said, confidence in his voice. “Don’t yell, Will. It’s very unbecoming,” Ford said, taking a sip of his tea. Will nodded. “Sorry, Ford,” he whispered. “Oh it’s alright. It seems like that Dipper boy has instilled some rather unseemly habits in you though.” “W-what do you mean?” “Well, you address your superiors quite easily, you don’t take orders very well, you’re no longer punctual, and you no longer know your place.” “That-that’s not true! That’s not Dipper’s fault!” “Really? Because you didn’t act like this until you met that boy.” “No! Dipper’s a good kid. If I’ve fallen into any of those habits, it’s my fault!” Ford considered him for a moment. “Well, if you’re sure. I suppose I’ll have to discipline you again. I won’t lie. I was looking forward to not having to do that again.” Will bowed his head. “Of course, sir. Sorry, sir.” “It’s quite alright, William. I suppose if it’s you, I really don’t mind.” Will blushed at the compliment, and heard the door creak open. He turned his head to find Dipper standing in the doorway. He did his best not to flinch as his heart pounded in his chest.

The young magician hadn’t seemed to notice Will yet. “You wanted to see me, Great Uncle Stanford?” “Yes. Sit down, sit down.” He gestured to an armchair near the fireplace, and Dipper sat down uncomfortably. Stanford glanced the boy up and down, scanning him. Dipper shifted in his seat nervously. His eyes darted around the room, but there was nothing he could defend himself with. “What did you need, sir?” “Why I simply wanted to get to know my grand nephew.” Stanford raised his hands suddenly to gesture to Dipper, but he flinched. Slowly he lowered his hands, resting them on the chair’s armrests once again. “Dipper, do I make you uncomfortable?” Dipper shook his head. “N-no sir,” he said hurriedly. “You really aren’t a great liar you know.” Dipper hung his head. “Is it because I have the same face as my brother?” Before he could stop himself, Dipper flinched once again. Slowly, the boy magician nodded. Stanford smiled coldly. “Well, I can assure you I am not my brother.” The magician paused. The silence making him nervous, Dipper tried his best to think of anything other than his time in the Mystery Shack. “May I ask what exactly he did to you?” Dipper rubbed the spot on his arm nervously. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Stanford raised an eyebrow, and waited for Dipper to fill the silence. The boy’s fingers tapped the armrest nervously, but nothing happened. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Dipper nodded, and Stanford took the hint. He leaned forward and appraised Dipper. The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes. “I see you managed to find all of my journals. That’s quite an accomplishment.” Dipper tried and failed to hide his grin at the praise. “Thank you, sir.” “I see you also managed to summon William.” Dipper did his best to hide a wince at hearing the demon’s name, but Stanford saw it. Dipper noticed Will kneeling at Stanford’s side. His breath caught, and he tried to ignore the heat rising to his face. “William, I didn’t realize you were going to be here.”

Will couldn’t meet Dipper’s eyes. Better to just stay silent and not say anything. That way there was nothing for Ford or Dipper to get angry at. “Well, of course he’s here. I wanted to catch up. Talk about old times, you know?” “No, I don’t know,” Dipper said, his voice dripping with venom. “Oh, are you still bitter that William didn’t tell you about us?” Stanford said with a sly smile. “Don’t be mad at the poor boy. It’s not his fault he was trying to make you feel special.” Dipper’s hand curled into a fist, but he forced himself to relax. He tried for a smile. “I must say, I am rather curious about the old times between you two.” Ford ruffled Will’s hair, almost absentmindedly. The demon shifted uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything. “Oh, what can I say? We were young and in love. Not much else to the story really.” Will nodded silently. Dipper leaned forward and folded his hands in front of himself theatrically. “Oh, I’m sure it’s gotta be more interesting than that,” Dipper said, the scorn in his voice barely concealed. “There really isn’t. I suppose I was William’s first love.” Stanford glanced at Dipper sidelong. “I suppose you thought you had that honor.” The two teenagers flinched at the remark, and Stanford pretended not to notice. “William and I had a wonderful relationship, and then I ended up going through the portal.”

Will raised his finger hesitantly. “I d-don’t remember those last few days being so great, Ford.” Ford took another sip of tea. “Really? Odd. I remember those days as some of the best of my life.” Will nodded and kept his eyes down. Maybe those days really had been better than he remembered. He had probably been so stressed because of the portal that he failed to notice all the good moments. Maybe it was his fault Ford had been so cold to him ever since he came out of the portal. Will picked at the hem on the cuff of his sleeve. Maybe it was all his fault things were weird between him and Dipper. “Do you have any more questions about the old days, Dipper?” “Not really, seeing how I didn’t even know about them in the first place.” Slowly Will raised his head. “I-I have a question, sir.” “Well go ahead and ask. I don’t have all day.” “S-sorry, sir. I was wondering what happened to FiddleFord?” “Oh, he outlived his usefulness.” “O-oh,” Will said in surprise. Dipper’s eyebrows shot up. “Who’s Fiddleford?” “He was my… well I’m sure you can figure it out. But he was no longer useful.” “So what, you two broke up?” “No, I killed him.”

Will nearly lost his balance. Dipper’s composure slipped for a moment before he regained it. Will saw him reach for the pocket where he kept his knife. The demon himself did his best to shrink into the background. Ford took another sip of his tea. “Did I upset you, William? I’m sorry. I know you two were good friends.” Will tried not to run his fingers over his eyepatch. Ford had told him it was unbecoming to draw attention to his injury. When he did that it was just because he was looking for attention. “I never wanted to have to kill Fiddleford, you see. But I no longer needed him.” Ford looked pointedly at Dipper. “So I had to kill him.” Dipper’s eyes widened in realization, and it took Will a moment to get it. If Dipper couldn’t prove he was worth something to Ford, Ford would kill him.

Dipper swallowed. “W-was that all you wanted to tell me?” Ford turned his attention back to the papers on his desk. “Yes. You’re dismissed.” Dipper left silently, and as he was about to cross the threshold, he gestured for Will to follow him. When the two were safely in the hallway, Dipper turned to Will and said, “I wasn’t the only one he was talking about back there.” “W-what do you mean?” “I mean, if you don’t prove you’re useful to him, he’ll kill you too.” Will swallowed. “And just so you know, William, I’m not telling you this because I care about you. I’m telling you because you’re useful to me.” The boy magician’s cape billowed behind him, and he sauntered down the hall.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Stanford meet

Bill drifted silently through the halls of the mansion. The meat-sacks were interesting. They were certainly a lot less dull than the versions he knew. Twelve chimes sounded. The noise in the house stilled, and one by one, the lights flickered out. Bill floated through the various bedrooms, watching as the humans crawled into bed. He slipped into Will’s room and hovered in the corner as he debated whether or not he should check in on his brother, but decided he couldn’t stand seeing how pathetic he looked in that stupid meat-sack. Granted, he had changed his form to look like a human as well, but there was something unsettling about seeing someone from a race as powerful as his forced into servitude. He needed to figure out a way to get his poor brother out of the idiotic deal he had accepted. Bill racked his brain, but he came up blank. Without knowing the particulars of the deal, there was no way he could find a loophole.

With a sigh, he drifted through the other rooms. He glided through what he thought was Shooting Star’s bedroom. There was too little pink to be sure. Maybe he should go and bother her. He had never really toyed with her. It could be fun. Besides, he had always wondered what would happen. He started to pull her into the mindscape before he saw what she was dreaming about. It was bloody, even for him. He quickly retreated into Pine Tree’s room, which was adjacent to Shooting Star’s. He supposed he ought to call the kid Blue Pine or something like that so he didn’t get them mixed up. He debated bothering him. This version of the kid was a lot more interesting after all, but he decided against it. He wanted to see what this version of Sixer was up to. He floated through the walls, and saw that Stanford was already asleep. He started to pull him into the mindscape, and suddenly he had a plan to help his brother. From what he had seen, it seemed Sixer had been the one to make the stupid deal. If there was a record of the deal contract anywhere, it was probably in Sixer’s nerd brain. Bill finished the spell, and saw that Stanford was dreaming about some moment or other he had spent writing the journal. If this version of Sixer was anything like the version he knew, Bill knew exactly how to draw him in.

He popped into Sixer’s field of vision. “WELL, WELL, WELL! WHO MIGHT YOU BE?” Sixer didn’t even have the dignity to be startled. “I could ask you the same thing.” Bill was offended. Mortals were supposed to cower in fear at his presence. “I GUESS THAT’S UP TO YOU! I COULD BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, OR I COULD BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!” “Well, you don’t seem very threatening. And I’m not sure why I would need you as a friend. You don’t seem to have anything useful to offer.” Stanford adjusted his glasses, and turned his attention back to the journal. Bill huffed. “LOOK, I’M TRYING MY BEST HERE! WORK WITH ME, SIXER!” “Well, then, you’re best is quite pathetic. I have no interest in making a deal with you.” “HOW’D YOU KNOW I WANTED TO MAKE A DEAL?” “What, you don’t think I’d recognize a dream demon when I see one?” Bill raised his eyebrow in surprise. It was rare that a meat-sack would recognize him. He recovered quickly, though. “WELL, THEN, I GUESS I DON’T HAVE TO BUTTER YOU UP. TELL ME WHAT IT IS YOU WANT, AND I’LL MAKE IT HAPPEN!” “What makes you think you have something to offer?” “I CAN DO ANYTHING! SURELY THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT!” He glanced back down at the book in Sixer’s hands. “IF YOU WANT MORE INFO FOR THAT STUPID JOURNAL OF YOUR’S, I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THINGS YOU’VE NEVER EVEN DREAMED OF.” “As intriguing as that sounds, I don’t need new information for the journal.” “WELL THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Bill said, getting increasingly frustrated. Clearly, this guy was nothing like the version of Sixer he knew. He would have to try a different tactic. “I COULD OFFER YOU POWER BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGINATION.” “That would have to be very powerful. But you see, I already have one dream demon in my employment. Why should I take on another?” Bill gritted his teeth at the mention of Will’s servitude. He needed to get on with this. “CAUSE I’M THE MOST POWERFUL DEMON THERE IS, AND I’M GIVING YOU THIS ONE TIME OFFER! MAKE A DEAL WITH ME, AND I’LL MAKE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!” “The most powerful, eh? I suppose that is intriguing.” Stanford turned to face Bill, and adjusted his collar, and picked at the end of his quill pen. “What could you offer me?” “THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT,” Bill said. “What kind of knowledge could you offer me?” “I KNOW ALL THE SECRETS OF THIS TOWN! BUT I CAN SEE YOU’RE HIGH CLASS. WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE?” Sixer glanced up briefly. “I suppose that sounds enticing. What kind of power could you offer me?” “YOUR ENEMIES OBLITERATED WITH A THOUGHT, PEOPLE BOWING DOWN TO YOU AS YOU WALK BY, NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP TO YOU!” Bill spread his arms, and images of the town on fire filled the room. “ALL OF THIS COULD BE YOURS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE A DEAL.” The demon extended his hand. “What would you want in return?” “YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU SEEM LIKE A NICE GUY. I’LL GIVE THIS ONE TO YOU FOR FREE.” Stanford snorted. “Your type never give anything for free.” Bill feigned offense. “I BEG YOUR PARDON! THAT IS A VERY HARMFUL STEREOTYPE! NOT ALL OF US ARE SLIMEBALLS. WE’RE CAPABLE OF BEING NICE!” Stanford simply raised an eyebrow. “My apologies. How would I receive this power?” “I SIMPLY NEED CONTROL OF YOUR BODY FOR A FEW MINUTES,” Bill said with a grin. “And why would I trust you to do that?” “WHAT? WHY WOULDN’T YOU BE ABLE TO TRUST ME? I’M ON YOUR SIDE!” “And how long would you need my body exactly?” “JUST A FEW MINUTES REALLY. IT’S A SIMPLE SPELL.” Bill extended his hand again, this time palm lighting up with blue fire. Stanford paused for a moment, seemingly absorbed by his quill. But Bill noticed his gaze straying to the images of destruction and chaos the demon had summoned. Despite how much he hated the magician for his stupid ego, he had to admit they had pretty similar goals. Finally, Stanford met Bill’s eye, and accepted the handshake. There was a familiar tugging, and he pulled Stanford’s spirit out of his body. He was sucked into the vessel. He extended his new hands and wiggled the fingers, quickly forming a rather rude gesture. It felt good to be in a real meat-sack again. He played around with the face. It was in good condition for such an old man. The now floating Stanford crossed his arms. “Well, I haven’t got all day. Get on with your spell.” “YES SIR!” Bill snapped a half-mocking salute and retreated into the depths of Stanford’s mind in search of a memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SO SO sorry for the late update. Unfortunately, I was called away for a family emergency. As compensation, please take this two-chapter dump. As always, thank you to my beta reader Kai. This chapter would have been a lot messier without you. If you enjoyed, feel free to leave a comment. Please leave a comment. Online school has starved me of human interaction.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill explores Stanford's memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Light gore and heavily implied torture

Bill wandered through Stanford's mind, searching for the memory he needed. If his theory was correct, there should have been some residual dimensional energy that had escaped when Stanford came through the portal. Seeing as how the dimension wasn’t on fire yet, the energy must have been locked away somewhere. Bill rifled through the memories, and quickly realized that most of them were either hidden away or about Stanford’s various adventures chronicling the magic of the town. They were all rather boring, although that did make his search easier. He plunged deeper into the memories, and came across one that involved Will. Bill stopped to watch.

Stanford was standing in a room alone, adding the finishing touches to a summoning spell. Will materialized behind him, and Stanford turned around with the sweetest smile. Bill couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was clear Stanford was flattering Will. A soft blush crept up Will’s cheeks. Stanford offered the blue haired demon a bouquet of flowers and he accepted. Bill gagged at the sight of the blue roses. Stanford took Will by the hand and led him down the hall. Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the shadows behind the demon. Something was about to happen. Bill tried to shout out to his brother, to warn him, but his voice didn’t work. After all, it was just a memory. There was nothing he could do. He watched as the figure grabbed Will by the middle and held a rag over the demon’s mouth. Will struggled uselessly and, after a moment, sank to the floor unconscious.   
The memory changed and suddenly, Bill found himself in a different room. Will was still unconscious, tied to a...what was it the humans called it? An operating table. There were medical supplies laid out along one wall, and a stool next to the bed. Stanford and the mysterious figure from earlier were standing in a corner, talking. Bill whispered a spell under his breath to push deeper into the memory. Despite his best efforts though, he was only able to catch snippets. He did manage to hear that the other man’s name was Fiddleford, however. The two men were hovering over a large, old book. Bill watched as a familiar expression spread across Fiddleford’s face; he had worn the same cunning look many times.   
Stanford smiled, glancing at his assistant. It took Bill a moment to place the expression, as he’d only seen it on rare occasions. Stanford looked almost to be in love with Fiddleford. The assistant returned the smile gleefully, and Stanford turned to leave the room. Fiddleford waited a moment to ensure Stanford was really gone before turning his attention back to his prisoner.

He gloated over Will’s unconscious body, reveling in an apparent victory. Walking around the table slowly, Fiddleford examined his catch, but stopped suddenly. His brow furrowed; clearly something he had seen had angered him. He stepped over to the table with the medical supplies and considered it for a moment. Fiddleford picked up a scalpel and turned it over in his hand. He glanced at the textbook on the table, and Bill saw that it was printed with a diagram of an eyeball. His breath caught as he realized what Fiddleford was planning to do to Will. But he had to watch. He couldn’t pull himself away. And he swore to himself he would enact the cruelest revenge possible on the man.   
Fiddleford moved to Will’s side just as the demon began to regain consciousness. Gleefully, Fiddleford pulled the cart of tools closer to the operating table and sat down. He picked up the scalpel once again and smiled. Will’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he glanced between the scalpel and Fiddleford. Realization hit the young demon, and he began to thrash, trying to escape his bonds. Bill turned away, not wanting to see what happened next. But he couldn’t escape the sound of Will’s cries of pain. He covered his ears and tried to block out the screams but they were just in his head. Or maybe he was the one screaming. Bill didn’t want to see his brother hurt like this. But there was no way out.   
He didn’t know how long it was before he noticed that Stanford had appeared in the doorway. He watched as Stanford rushed into the room and wrestled the scalpel from Fiddleford. The two seemed to get into a bit of spat, and Stanford ordered his assistant to leave the room. Fiddleford did so, head bowed, but still fuming that he had been interrupted. Stanford picked Will up gently, and the demon curled up against his chest. Stanford carried Will out of the room, a triumphant smirk on his face as Will passed out once again.

Bill wasn’t sure what exactly had happened between Will and Stanford, but one thing was crystal clear. Stanford had set himself up to look the hero. And he had probably manipulated Fiddleford into attacking Will. Whatever Will thought about Stanford, it was undeniably clear that the man was nothing but a villain. Bill forced himself to leave the memory and to continue his search. He swore that he would spend the rest of his days in this universe making Stanford pay for what he had done to his brother.

Eventually, Bill found the memory he was looking for. He pulled himself to the front of the body’s consciousness, ready to enact his plan. “Well, have you finished your spell?” Stanford said, his arms crossed. “ALMOST!” Bill said, faking a cheery smile. Just a few more minutes, and he could start. “I JUST NEED ONE MORE SUPPLY! FORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE IT.” He moved to the safe below the desk and clumsily entered the code into the combination lock. “I must ask, how did you know the code to my safe? “I’M IN YOUR BODY! I CAN SEE YOUR MEMORIES!” Bill exclaimed gleefully, doing his best to hide a wicked grin. A flash of concern crossed Stanford’s face, but he quickly reconstructed it to the perfectly neutral expression he seemed to always wear. “I see.”

Bill dug around in the safe till he found what he was looking for. He pulled the small glass dome out of the safe and held it up triumphantly. It pulsed softly, and starlight swirled around the sphere hypnotically. “Why would you need a dimensional rift?” Stanford questioned, mask slipping to reveal a hint of confusion. Bill smiled mischievously, like a kid about to reveal a secret. Suddenly, Blue Pine burst into the room, his cape billowing behind him. “Great Uncle Stanford, we need to talk. I’ve been sensing a magical presence in the-'' he stopped as he noticed the dimensional rift in Bill’s hand. “Um, Great Uncle Stanford, what are you doing?” Bill’s grin widened. He raised his arms above his head and smashed the dimensional rift against the ground.

He felt himself yanked out of Stanford’s body. Bill watched as the vessel collapsed, and reveled as he himself took physical form. He cackled gleefully, and Dipper whirled around to face him. “Who the hell are you?!” Then, Dipper shook his head. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter. What did you do to him?” “OH, NOTHING. YET. IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE KID, I WOULD RUN.” Dipper raised his hand, palm out, and his eyes began to glow. It amused Bill how pathetic the attempt at magic was. He motioned with his finger and suddenly, the amulet was ripped off Dipper’s neck. With a flick of his wrist, Bill slammed Dipper into the wall, and the kid slid to the ground, dazed. “LAST CHANCE KID! GET OUT OF HERE!” Dipper stood up and reappraised Bill. “What do you want? Do you want to kill us or something?” “I WASN’T PLANNING ON IT, BUT I KINDA LIKE THE IDEA,” Bill crowed, pleased by the sudden inspiration. Dipper’s eyes widened in fear, and he whispered “Mabel!” before sprinting out of the room. Bill cackled in glee as he raised his arms and flames descended on the world. With another flick of his wrist, a large, black pyramid rose from the ground and enveloped the residents of the mansion. They floated into the sky, and Bill took his place on the throne. It was time to rule this town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the hiatus guys. I am awful at scheduling, and kept forgetting to call my beta reader to work on this (shoutout to them once again. Absolute lifesaver.) Besides that, I ended up putting most of my energy into another short little fic, but this story will have my full attention until it's done!
> 
> Also, a huge inspiration credit goes to Deatharising's Reverse Falls CMVs. They are beautiful and exquisite and amazing. Seriously, go watch them!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Djm3t7IQD56Jn1QJiRn--B9bJxuLtNf


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon sees the world after Weirdmaggedon, and finds some allies.

Gideon dashed across the street, avoiding the piercing gaze of the sentries. He ducked under a fallen chunk of concrete as a beam of light swept over the street. The beam passed over his hiding place and he sprinted down the street, through the doors to the mall. He ducked under another chunk of rubble as the sentry swept over the main room. It had been three days since flames had descended on the town and the giant pyramid had gone up over the Gleeful mansion. His father had been among the first to be captured by the sentries, and he himself had barely managed to escape them. He had spent his days in the woods, barely surviving and searching for the other townsfolk. He had made his way to the edge of the woods, but was blocked by the sudden appearance of a forcefield. Nothing seemed to be able to get past it. Hopefully the end of the world hadn’t escaped the town limits.

Finally Gideon had ventured into town in the hopes of finding Pacifica. He figured the mall was the best place to be. The building itself was still relatively intact, and there were plenty of supplies to live off of. He ducked under yet another slab of concrete into the food court. He figured if there was anyone else in the mall, that’s where they’d be. It was one of the only rooms without windows, which meant the sentries couldn’t see it. He wandered between the tables, and in the center of the court rested a plate of nachos. Gideon was practically drooling. It had been so long since he had eaten normal food, what with him being in the woods and all. After a quick glance around to make sure no one else was there, he lunged for the nachos. “This better not be a trap.” As his fingers closed around the edge of the plate, something pulled him off his feet, and he was suspended upside down in the air. He had dropped the nachos, and they were splattered all over the floor. He cursed his bad luck.

He began searching for a way out of the net, but there didn’t seem to be one. He kicked himself for his own stupidity. Why had he even bothered to come here? For all he knew, there was no one around. Then he paused. The nachos had been fresh. And someone had bothered to string up a net. Clearly, there was someone living here. He wondered who it could be. I certainly couldn’t be Pacifica, she didn’t know how to do something like this. At least, he hoped she didn’t. His girlfriend was already scary enough.

Who else would know how to rig a trap like this? He didn’t really know anyone in town. The Gleefuls probably knew how to do this, but they had probably been captured right away, since the giant pyramid thing had gone up right above their mansion. It was probably too much to hope for though. They were more likely to be the ones who had caused the end of the world. If the Gleefuls really were behind this, he had to find a way out of it fast. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like there was any way to disable the trap from the inside. He would have to risk it. “Help! Help me!” He yelled into the depths of the mall. There was no response. “Help!” he yelled again. Suddenly something darted out of the shadows and put a hand over his mouth. Gideon struggled to break free, but they had a surprisingly strong grip. “Shhh! Are you trying to get us killed?” a voice hissed. Gideon recognized it instantly, and stopped thrashing. “Pacifica?” he said, her hand muffiling it. She froze. “Gideon?” He nodded. She pulled her hand away, and moved to face him.

“What are you doing here?” “Looking for you. I had to make sure you were ok.” She began to lower the net to the ground. “Aw, were you worried about me?” she said, a smile on her face. “Of course I was! The world is literally ending outside. I had to make sure you were safe.” He disentangled himself from the net, and she helped him to his feet. “You’re so sweet. Thanks for coming to find me.” They kissed quickly, and Gideon picked up the overturned table. “How’d you know how to string up this net, anyways?” She shuffled her feet, and laughed nervously. Gideon’s gaze turned suspicious. “Pacifica, how did you set up that trap?” “I didn’t set up the trap,” she said reluctantly. “I did,” said a voice from the shadows. Gideon spun around to see a figure leaning against the wall, tossing a gleaming knife. It was Dipper.

Gideon pulled Pacifica behind him and put his fists up, ready for a fight. “Relax, short-stack,” Dipper assured, rolling his eyes. “I’m not here for a fight.” “Why should I trust you? You’ve tried to kill us!” Gideon demanded. Dipper snorted. “Fair enough. But believe it or not, we actually have common interests.” “What could I possibly have in common with you?” “Well, for starters, we both want to get the world back to normal,” Dipper said, as if he was explaining something to a child. Slowly, Gideon’s hands dropped. “I suppose that’s true. But it still doesn’t mean I can trust you not to stab me in the back.” “Why ever would I do that?” Dipper asked, his face the picture of innocence. “It’d be the perfect time,” Gideon said. “You fix the world, and I’ll look like the unfortunate victim of the apocalypse.” Dipper grinned. “Well, I hadn’t planned on it, but now you’re giving me all sorts of ideas.” He winked, and pushed himself off the wall. “Look, until we get the world back to normal, I’ll offer you a temporary truce.” Dipper extended his hand, and after a second, Gideon shook it. “Welcome to the team.”

Dipper flipped his knife, and offered it to Gideon, hilt first. “Um, what are you doing?” the teen asked, unsure. “Look, I actually know how to fight, your girlfriend here is pretty good at using anything as a weapon, and my sister always carries her knife. You’re the only one in the group that’s unarmed.” “Oh.” Gideon took the weapon and sheathed it. “Why are you being so nice?” “I’m not. But you might be useful. No point in having you die, yet.” “That’s comforting,” Gideon muttered. “Although I suppose you don’t really need a knife, since you have your magic and all.” Pacifica tried to signal him to stop, but he didn’t catch it in time. Dipper scuffed his toe against the ground. “Not anymore. That freak stole my amulet.” “What freak?” “The one who started this whole apocalypse. Some dream demon in a yellow suit,” Dipper said, as if he couldn’t believe the absurdity of his situation. “Um...what’s a dream demon?” Pacifica asked. “You know Will?” Dipper responded, with a sly smirk. “Yeah, of course we know Will. He was so-” “He was a demon?” Gideon said, eyebrows raised. Dipper snorted. “There you go. Why do you think I kept him around?” “Cause...you two were together?” Gideon guessed. Dipper flinched. “Well, we’re not together anymore.” His voice was laced with bitterness and self-loathing.

Gideon wanted to ask, but decided not to. For some reason, he felt sorry for Will. He may not have known much about the guy, but he had seemed like a nice kid. He definitely didn’t feel sorry for Dipper though. He had no reason to. “I’m sorry,” he said anyways. Dipper kicked at a rock. “Not like it matters, really. I was just using him. It’s not like I actually care about him,” Dipper said, clearly signaling that that particular conversation was over. “Do you know where he is?” Pacifica asked. “Having a demon on our side could be useful.” “He was in the mansion when Bill took over. He didn’t make it out.” Dipper turned his head away for a moment, and Gideon saw him nearly lose his composure.   
“Who’s Bill?” Pacifica asked, thankfully changing the subject. “He’s the dream demon responsible for all of this. He tried to trick me into making a deal with him. That must be how he gets his power.” “So, we can’t make a deal with him, then. Sounds easy enough,” Gideon said. “Certainly will be for me,” Dipper said, his expression smug as usual. “But we still need to be careful. He managed to knock my Great Uncle out. He’s probably been captured by now.”

Again, Gideon felt sorry for the boy magician. Why would he care about anything Dipper cared about? But Gideon could see the pain on the teen’s face. The boy was doing his best to hide it, but he looked well and truly broken. And Gideon couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Pacifica probably would have said that was just more proof that he was the good guy. He shook the thoughts away. Right now, he had to focus on saving the world. “Alright. Let’s take Bill down, then. What’s the plan?” “Well, I may not have my amulet, but I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Dipper said. “Do you still have the journal?” Gideon put his hand over his vest nervously. “Why do you need it?” “Oh, relax, short-stack,” the boy magician said, rolling his eyes once again. “I just want to see if we can find any useful spells.” He pulled Journal two out from under his cape and set it down on the table. “Look, mine is out in the open. I know you have no reason to trust me, but we need to work together on this.”

Slowly, Gideon nodded and pulled the journal out of his vest. He gently set it on the table. “Work your magic,” the teen said dryly. Suddenly, the door at the back of the food court swung open, and revealed Mabel, standing in the entrance. Gideon stepped in front of Pacifica, but she whispered, “Don’t worry. We’re cool.” “Sister dearest, what is it?” Dipper said, rifling through the journals. “Guess who I found lurking outside.” She moved aside to reveal Stanford. Dipper’s head snapped up, and for a moment, Gideon caught a glimpse of relief in his eyes. Then, it was gone as he returned his attention back to the journals. Stanford walked into the room as if he owned it, and Gideon wondered if he was capable of acting any other way. “How did you escape Bill?” Dipper said. “You really think I haven’t done this before?” Then Stanford raised an eyebrow. “How do you know Bill?” “He tried to trick me into making a deal,” Dipper said. “I see.” Stanford clapped his hands together, and turned his attention to the group of teens standing in front of him. “Well, I think I may just have a solution to our problem.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will runs into his older brother, and Bill wants to know how the younger demon is adjusting to life during Weirdmaggedon.

Will poked his head through the doorway cautiously. The throne room was empty. He made his way across the room quickly. Just as he was about to cross the threshold to the other side of the room, Bill’s voice called out. “BLUE, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? COME SIT WITH ME!” Reluctantly, Will walked towards his brother’s oversized throne. Bill lounged across the arms of the chair haphazardly, a glass of wine in his hand. He knelt before the stairs, but Bill yanked him up with magic. “C”MON, BLUE! I'M YOUR BROTHER! YOU DON’T NEED TO KNEEL. COME ON UP HERE AND SIT WITH YOUR DEAR OLD BROTHER!” Bill shifted on the throne so that Will would be able to sit on one of the arms. Will hesitated, but took a seat. “SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IN THIS BACKWATER DIMENSION?” Bill waved his free hand around, gesturing at the palace vaguely. “Nothing.” Will whispered. “OH, COME ON, YOU CAN TELL ME! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU TERRORIZED?” “None.” “COME ON, NOT EVEN WHILE YOU WERE WORKING FOR THOSE EVIL VERSIONS OF THE THORNS IN MY SIDE?” “They’re not that bad,” Will whispered. Bill turned to him, eyebrow raised. “WHY DO YOU KEEP DEFENDING THOSE ASSHOLES, ANYWAYS? THEY’VE DONE NOTHING BUT HURT YOU!”

“You’ve done nothing but hurt me,” Will muttered under his breath. Bill set down his glass of wine, and Will flinched, wondering if he had angered the other demon. “I never meant to hurt you, Will.” Bill’s voice was soft and kind. The younger brother startled at the shift in Bill’s voice. “Then why did you burn down our dimension? I almost died, Bill.” Bill’s shoulders sagged. “I never meant to destroy it. I just wanted to be the most powerful one there.” “Good job with that,” Will said bitterly. “Now you’re the only one there.” Bill sighed and twirled his glass by the stem. “Blue, do you know why I wanted to be the most powerful demon back home?” “So you could rub it in everyone’s face?” Will guessed.   
Bill set the glass down on the arm of the throne with a loud thud. Will flinched at the sound. Bill sighed once again. “No. That’s not why. ...Ok, maybe that’s part of it. But, no, the reason I conquered our dimension is so that I could give you a better life.” Will’s head snapped up, eye narrowed, and he reappraised his brother. He never would have thought Bill would be capable of doing anything for anyone else, but now... Will sat there in silence. Finally, Bill cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m going to check up on my hench people.” He paused, and after a moment added, “I love you, Blue.”

Bill patted his shoulder clumsily and got up. Will watched numbly as Bill walked off. He had always thought that his brother was nothing but a power-hungry megalomaniac, but the revelation put things in a new perspective. He wondered if things would have turned out differently for him if he and Bill had never been separated. Before, he had always told himself he was glad Bill was gone, but now his raw grief from that day welled up again. He had missed his family so much. He had been so lonely when he had first found himself in this dimension. He had always blamed the other demon for the destruction that had been wrecked across his home, but now, Will realized that even though it was indirect, he himself was to blame. Maybe Ford had been right. Maybe he really was pathetic. Maybe he really was worthless. What kind of demon couldn’t even stop his own brother from burning down their home?

Will had no idea how long he sat there in thought, but after a while, Bill came back into the throne room. Will looked up, but didn’t meet his brother’s eyes. Bill stepped up to the throne, and gently put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “You’re not mad at me, are you?” he asked hesitantly. “It's all my fault,” He whispered. “What?” Bill asked, brow furrowing in confusion. “It’s all my fault our dimension is destroyed,” Will said softly. “What are you talking about, Blue?” Bill asked nervously. “I’m the reason you destroyed everything back home. If it weren’t for me, we’d be safe. We’d be home.” Bill tipped Will’s chin up and forced him to meet his eyes. “Listen to me, Blue. It was not your fault. That’s the kind of thought this evil version of Sixer put in your head.” Will nodded out of habit. His brother didn’t seem to catch it.

After a moment, the younger demon asked, “Bill, why do you want to take over Reverse Falls? Don’t you have enough power already?” Bill shook his head. “I’m not doing this for power, Blue. I’m doing this to protect you.” “Protect me from what?” Will asked. “From those awful people! From...what did you say their names were again?” Bill asked. “The Gleefuls?” Will brushed Bill’s hand off his shoulder. “I don’t need you to protect me from the Gleefuls. I’m doing just fine.” “No, you’re not!” Bill protested. “They are manipulating and destroying you!” “They’re not destroying me. I’m perfectly safe. They’re protecting me.” Bill’s eye flashed red.

“WHY DO YOU KEEP DEFENDING THEM? HOW STUPID ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE THAT THEY’RE USING YOU?” “They’re not using me,” Will protested weakly. “WHY DO YOU WANT TO STAY WITH THEM? I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU!” Bill began to glow, and his feet rose off the floor. Will knew he should try and calm him down, but he didn’t really want to. “I just do,” Will said, staring at the floor. “They aren't so bad once you get to know them.” “WHY DO YOU KEEP STANDING UP FOR THEM?” Bill exploded. “IT’S LIKE YOU LIKE THEM OR SOMETHING!” Will gulped, and couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes. The glow around Bill faded, and he set down on the floor gently. “You do like them don’t you? Or at least one of them.” Will kept his eyes glued to the floor. “So, is it that knock-off of Shooting Star?” Bill asked. Slowly, Will shook his head. “Oh, don’t tell me it’s Sixer. He’s the villain. I know what he did to you,” Bill paused. “I know what he let FiddleFord do to you.”

Gently, Bill brushed the eyepatch on Will’s face. Will flinched away at the reminder of the painful experience. “Please don’t tell me you like that son of a-” “Dipper,” Will said, cutting his brother off. “I like Dipper.” Bill froze. “Oh, so it’s that hotter, cooler version of Pine Tree. I can’t say I exactly agree with your choice of friends, but I suppose he’s not the worst you could do.” Will rubbed nervously at the bracelet Dipper had given him. “He-he’s not my friend, exactly.” “What do you mean he’s not your friend? Who else could he possibly...oh.” Will nodded. “You like like him,” Bill said, as if it should have been obvious from the start.

It felt so weird to have that out in the open, despite the fact that he and Dipper had been together for so long. But at the same time, it felt really nice to hear it out loud. Will couldn’t help but smile at the butterflies he got when he thought of the young magician. “I guess this means you’ll want me to spare him,” Bill said with a tired sigh. Will looked at him pleadingly. Bill rolled his eyes dramatically and conjured another glass of wine. “Fiiiiine. I’ll spare Blue Pine.” Bill flopped onto the throne and threw his legs over the arm Will was sitting on. “And Mabel?” Will asked, confidence creeping into his voice. “That psychopath? Are you kidding?” “Please, Bill. She means everything to Dipper.” “She’ll just take advantage of you the first chance she gets,” Bill protested. “Just like Sixer did.” “Not if Dipper tells her not to,” Will said. “Please, Bill, you have to promise me. Promise me you’ll let Mabel go free.” “Oh, fine. Only for you. I’m not sparing Sixer though. He needs to pay for what he did to you.” “You don’t have to let Ford go. Just promise me you’ll spare the twins,” Will said. Bill rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’ll spare those dumb meat sacks.” “And Gideon and Pacifica,” Will said quickly. “They’re good people. They tried to help me. Please.” “Yes, yes, I promise,” Bill said, wavin him off. “So what do you say?” The demon extended his hand and offered it to Will. “Want to rule the world?” Will took it, and for the second time in his life, was excited to make a deal.


End file.
